Kolkata, Sep 16 (IANS) Expressing her opposition to the latest petrol price hike, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee Friday said her party has already conveyed its resentment to the central government.


"We have apprised the central government of our stand. If petrol and diesel rates are raised regularly, then prices of other essentials also go up. We don't want this. I am against the hike. My party is against the increase. This is not right," Banerjee told mediapersons here.

She said party general secretary and union Minister of State for Shipping Mukul Roy called up Finance Minister Pranab Mukerjee and conveyed to him Trinamool's views.

The Trinamool is the second largest partner of the Congress-led UPA government at the centre with 19 MPs.

Coming down heavily on the opposition Left front, which has decided to hit the streets against the over Rs.3 per litre hike in petrol prices from Friday, Banerjee said it should stop staging "political drama".

"They (the Left Front) remained in power in the state for 34 years by enacting political dramas. They were also part of UPA-1. Then also prices were raised several times. They should not try to enact any more dramas," Banerjee said. The Left parties gave outside support to the first UPA regime from 2004 to mid-2008.

Banerjee said the prices of essentials had been high for a long time but the LF when it was in power in the state did nothing to contain it.

Banerjee claimed that she has visited the markets herself and her government was constantly monitoring the prices.

She reminded mediapersons that her government had slashed the four percent value added tax (VAT) on cooking gas, saving Rs.16 per cylinder for the consumer.

Banerjee said she had even appealed to shopkeepers, businessmen and even vegetable sellers sometime back to reduce prices.

"They gave me their word that prices will come down. They have kept their promise. Did the former regime ever take these people into confidence?

"Please compare the prices this year with what they were around this time last year," she said.