Pics by Rons Bantwal

Mumbai, Jul 2: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national secretary Navjot Singh Sidhu said on Thursday that it was very much within the Centre’s means to curb the rise in fuel prices.

Addressing BJP workers in the city, the former India cricketer said that the government should have utilised the money it earned from the auction of 3G spectrum to bring down the prices of petroleum products. But instead, it levied the burden on consumers.

Sidhu said that the income from the spectrum allocation had not been taken into account in the budget, and demanded that it be used for the common man. “The government has earned Rs1 lakh crore in the 3G spectrum auction. It is a windfall, and should be used to control the rising petroleum product prices.”

Taking a dig at the budget, he added, “It gave a concession of Rs5.2 lakh crore to the 1% rich corporates, but social schemes for the poor got only Rs1.7 lakh crore.”

Justifying the BJP’s call for a nationwide bandh on July 5, Sidhu said, “Petrol prices have gone up by 26% in one year; diesel prices have increased by 30%. Such things happen only in war situation. Even in 1963 and 1971, inflations had been less than 7%.”

He did not blame any individual for the price hike. “It is a collective responsibility of the government. You cannot blame a single person. Since the prime minister is the head of the government, he is the most accountable,” Sidhu said.

BJP’s national executive member Kirit Somaiya said, “Inflation had never crossed the 5% mark during the NDA regime. Today, it stands at 11%.”

There were doses of Sidhuism, too. Repeatedly asked whether the BJP will like to see Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar only in the International Cricket Council and not in the cabinet, Sidhu resorted to shayari. “Har sawal ka jawab nahi hota; Har chehara lajawaab nahi hota; Bhavara har phool par baithta hai; Har phool gulab nahi hota,” he said.