In this interview with Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier, the only woman Rajya Sabha member from Kerala, Dr T N Seema speaks about the party's strategy in the Rajya Sabha.
In this interview with Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier, the only woman Rajya Sabha member from Kerala, Dr T N Seema speaks about the party's strategy in the Rajya Sabha.
The decision of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee not to contest the West Bengal assembly polls reflects her "weakness", Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury said on Saturday.
The Communist Party of India Marxist on Monday dismissed as 'defunct and ineffective' the United Progressive Alliance -Left Coordination Committee and said it made little difference whether to continue in it or not. ''The UPA-Left Coordination Committee was formed for exchange of opinion between the government and Left parties on major policies. But it has now virtually turned into an ineffective and defunct body,'' CPI-M politburo member Biman Bose said.
While the Kerala chief minister has not yet shown any sign of accepting the party's line on the SNC Lavalin corruption case -- where Vijayan has been termed an accused by the CBI -- the politburo will try to maintain a balance between the two factions in a last-ditch effort.
Senior Politburo member Sitaram Yechury said the party has started discussions on the third alternative and any party that wants to be part of it must: 1. Uncompromisingly oppose communal forces. 2. Oppose the anti-people economic reforms. 3. Oppose all efforts to try to make India a subordinate ally to United States' imperialism.
Hitting back at the intellectuals who criticised the Bengal government on the Nandigram issue, senior Communist Party of India - Marxist leader Brinda Karat on Sunday said that she was puzzled by their silence when hundreds of villagers were not allowed entry for the past several months. The party politburo member said that they did not raise their voice when over 3,500 villagers were living in camps for about 11 months and denied entry to Nandigram.
According to the statement, "For the past few months, the administration and the police have been out of the area which has been utilised by the armed elements led by the Maoists to entrench themselves. Bunkers have been built and landmines laid."
The Communist Party of India - Marxist on Saturday rubbished suggestions by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee that a political conspiracy was behind the Gyaneshwari Express disaster in West Midnapore, alleging that she was trying to cover up lapses and failures of her ministry in the incident. Senior CPI-M Politburo member Sitaram Yechury also said some elements were 'cynically' using the situation to further their petty partisan interests.
Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who has always played a key role in defusing tensions with the Left, were also present at the crucial meeting.
The politburo of the Communist Party of India - Marxist on Tuesday denied reports about joining an electoral coalition, along with the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress, for the assembly elections in Sikkim."The CPI-M- will have no alliance with the Congress or the BJP in Sikkim, as reported in the media," according to a terse statement issued by the party.
Making it clear that the Left was not prepared to back down on the issue, Bardhan said it was up to the government to decide whether it wanted to continue or commit sati on the issue.
The future of India depends on the future the Left and its ideology, Sitaram Yechury, politburo member of the Communist Party of India-Marxist said. Speaking at Columbia University on 'Neo-Liberalism, Secularism, and the Future of the Left in India', Yechury said the destiny of both India and the the Left are intertwined and it was the left which realized the idea of India correctly.
Karat's meet with PM fails to break nuclear deal deadlock
The CPM leader claimed that the recent incidents in Orissa have highlighted the use of violence by these outfits against Christians, including the use of weapons and inflammatory materials to burn houses and churches
The Communist Party of India-Marxist on Wednesday said the inclusion of Anil Ambani-led Reliance Capital as one of the managers of Employees Provident Fund was an indication of the 'cost' the United Progressive Alliance paid for ensuring support for the government.
He will seek to finalise a coordination committee between the alliance and Left parties by Sunday.
Asked whether Basu should be awarded the Bharat Ratna, CPI-M politburo member Biman Bose told reporters in Kolkata, "I don't know whether Basu fulfills the parameters. If he fulfills it, Basu can be given the highest civilian award.'' Bose flayed senior BJP leader L K Advani for writing to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to propose the honour for Vajpayee, saying the saffron party was playing politics with the country's highest civilian award.
The Left on Sunday came out in support of the Naveen Patnaik government, which was reduced to a minority following snapping of ties with ally Bharatiya Janata Party, and even hinted at forging an alliance with the Biju Janata Dal for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Orissa.
UPA-Left coordination committee meeting on Feb 13
China has said that it has "no objection" to India's candidature for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council but was firmly opposed to Japan's bid for the same due to "historical baggage", according to Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury.
The CPI(M) has asked the government to express its disapproval.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist on Monday zeroed in on VS Achutanandan and Surjya Kanta Mishra as Leaders of Opposition in Kerala and West Bengal respectively at a meeting of its politburo. Sources said a formal announcement will be made after discussions at state committees of Bengal and Kerala.
Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday paid tributes to former West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu, whom they described as a great patriot and an eminent statesman. Both Ansari and Dr Singh visited the AKG Bhawan, the Communist Party of India - Marxist headquarters at Gole Market in New Delhi, at approximately 11 am and paid floral tributes to the departed leader. They were received by CPI-M Politburo member Sitaram Yechury.
"The execution of the death sentence will be a form of judicial assassination," the CPI(M) said, urging all sections of the people to protest the death sentence.
"The politburo wishes to point out that the UPA was formed to keep communal forces at bay. By taking such a step and the political consequences thereafter, that purpose will be undermined. We appeal to the partners of the Congress in the UPA to ensure that no such step is taken, which will help the communal forces," Karat said.
The CBI on Thursday conducted searches in the offices of the wireless planning cell, the department responsible for allocating spectrum, and the office of deputy director general (access services) at the ministry headquarters in New Delhi.
Ahead of the meeting of the UPA-Left Committee on nuclear issues on Tuesday, the CPM on Monday made it clear that it would not allow the government to proceed on the Indo-US nuclear deal.
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday filed a chargesheet against Communist Party of India - Marxist Kerala Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan in a graft case. After receiving Governor R S Gavai's sanction four days ago to prosecute 69-year-old Vijayan, overruling the state cabinet recommendation, the CBI filed the 11-page chargesheet in a special court in Kochi, naming Vijayan and eight others as accused in the case.
Refusing to buy the argument that the remarks on P Chidambaram in the 2G note was the handiwork of a single officer, Communist Party of India-Marxist on Friday demanded the resignation of the home minister alleging that it clearly showed that he gave the nod for a policy which led to a loss to the exchequer.
A medical board has been constituted for the treatment of Anil Biswas.
CPM leader Sitaram Yechury disagreed with recent opinion poll findings that the Left would receive a drubbing if the country went to polls on the nuclear issue.
Kerala Minister Saji Cheriyan on Wednesday announced his resignation amidst mounting criticism from various quarters, including the Opposition, over his controversial remarks against the Constitution recently.
Asking the government to 'stop pussyfooting' on the David Coleman Headley case, the Communist Party of India-Marxist on Saturday said it must immediately seek access to the terror accused
As Kerala is set to go for assembly polls on April 13, the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist-led Left Democratic Front and the Congress-led United Democratic Front have to race against time as they are yet to finalise the seat-sharing exercise among partners and each component to work out the list of their contestants for before the filing of nominations begin on March 19.
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