Won’t bail out UPA over price rise issue: SP

With an eye on next year's Uttar Pradesh elections, the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Saturday attacked the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) for the petrol price hike and warned it would not bail out the Congress-led government if it faced trouble from allies.

With an eye on next year's Uttar Pradesh elections, the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Saturday attacked the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) for the petrol price hike and warned it would not bail out the Congress-led government if it faced trouble from allies.

The Mulayam Singh Yadav-led party said it would remain "neutral" if the opposition tried to bring down the government.

"We have often said that supporting the UPA was a mistake and we would not repeat the mistake. If the government falls due to inner contradictions, the SP will not help it...," party general secretary Mohan Singh said, referring to the Trinamool Congress' pullout threat over petrol price hike.

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Asked whether the SP — whose 22 MPs extend outside support to the UPA — will support the BJP's no-confidence motion, Singh said his party has decided to remain neutral.

"While we will not use a hammer, we would also not stop anyone from using it to demolish it (UPA government)," Singh said.

"We have an economist Prime Minister who claims that people who do not understand economy protest price hike...This is the economy which only the Prime Minister understands. The books on economics he is referring to should be torn," Singh said.