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TDP threatens to withdraw support to Centre

The Telugu Desam Party today threatened to review its support to the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in protest against the "unilateral and arbitrary" increase in prices of essential commodities.

The party's chief spokesman, Dr Umareddy Venkateswarlu, and general secretaries C Ramachandraiah, MP, and Lal Jan Basha told reporters in Hyderabad that "the course of action will be decided in a day or two".

The TDP, they said, would explore "all options" and take a decision in "the interest of the nation, state and party".

Party sources said TDP president and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's return from Davos tomorrow is being awaited to set in motion the process of considering the options.

Apart from a meeting of the party politburo, Naidu is expected to convene a meeting of his ministerial colleagues.

Dr Venkateswarlu and the general secretaries denounced the hike in prices of essential commodities and the Centre's refusal to accede to the TDP's demand to roll back the prices.

The states, they said, were not consulted by the Centre on the subject.

They recalled that Naidu had demanded convening of the National Development Council to discuss the attacks on minorities and a meeting of chief ministers to discuss the rise in prices of essentials supplied through the public distribution system. But the Centre had not only overlooked the suggestion but also ruled out rolling back the prices.

"We cannot allow the Congress to be strengthened by the wrong policies of the BJP-led government," they said.

They also strongly objected to Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha's statement indicating that agriculture income would also be taxed.

UNI

BJP has no moral right to continue in office: Naidu

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