Veteran Parliamentarian and Communist Party of India leader Gurudas Dasgupta has warned the Union government that the Left parties could resort to more strikes in future if the government does not mend its ways and continues to follow 'pro-rich policies.' He was addressing a press conference at Parliament House on Thursday.
"You have enjoyed the support of the Left, completely ignoring our views, this cannot go on for long," Dasgupta asserted in the Lok Sabha after the issue was raised in Zero Hour by Basudeb Acharia of CPI-M.
In the Rajya Sabha, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury said if the United Progressive Alliance government persisted with its economic policies, it would meet the same fate as that of National Democratic Alliance government which had launched 'India Shining' campaign.
"There is complete bandh in West Bengal and Kerala. We have similar reports coming in from states like Assam as well. All the major bank unions except the State Bank of India, Life Insurance Corporation, General Insurance Corporation, the transport sector -- all joined in to make the bandh a complete success. We have got support from the political parties cutting across the party lines. Those who extended their support included the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Telgu Desam Party, Assom Gana Parishad,Samajvadi party, Biju Janata Dal etc," he said in response to a question whether the left had gone alone for the bandh.
Talking about why the Left has decided to oppose its own partner -- the Congress-led UPA government, Dasgupta said that the government was violating the common minimum programme agreed between the congress party and the alliance partners.
He attacked the finance minister P Chidambaram for not doing anything to bring down the prices. "Chidambaram eats at five-star hotels. How is he to know what kind of problems the poor face. It is an anti-poor and pro-rich government. It is against the farmers but favours the NRIs. "We have a finance minister who talks about 9 per cent growth at the cost of the growing prices," he said. "He is not doing anything for the poor. The policies followed by the present government are not giving desired results. Hence we say that there could be more strikes in future as well. Left front is going to be the future of the country," he claimed.
If the government continues to behave in this manner then it would be responsible for its own debacle," he said.
In response to a question that if the Left parties feel so humiliated or cheated then why don't they withdraw support to the government, Dasgupta said that Left parties are not in favour of mid-term poll as it would allow the Bhartiya Janata Party -- a communal out fit to come into power.
"We do not want BJP to come to power at any cost," he said. The BJP is trying to divide the country on Afzal Guru and Sachhar Committee's report."
