Launching a sharp attack on the UPA government at the Centre, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat on Sunday said that the UPA government is enveloped in corruption and under its rule, prices of essential commodities have touched a new high.
He alleged that the UPA government’s neo-liberal economic policies had worst affected the agriculture sector as thousands of farmers had committed suicide in the country since 2009. Mr Karat also did not spare the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal, accusing the chief minister of taking a double-standard policy. “As Trinamul Congress is a part of the UPA coalition, she has never ever opposed any anti-people policies in Delhi. But in Bengal, she always poses to be an opponent of the Centre,” Mr Karat told the first mass rally of the CPI(M) at the Brigade Parade ground in Kolkata, after its exit from power.
“People are being attacked in the form of massive price rise and corruption. There is an increased rural distress which is being reflected in the growing number of farmers’ suicides in many states of the country. In Andhra Pradesh in the month of January, a total 160 farmers have committed suicide,” said Mr Karat, holding the Central and state governments’ policies responsible for this.
“In Bengal also, ever since Trinamul Congress has assumed power, the procurement machinery in the state has collapsed and indebtedness has increased leading to number of suicides in the state which was unheard of during the 34 years of Left Front rule,” he pointed out.
Referring to the unprecedented price rise, he said food inflation had remained sky-high for 38 months and alleged that the UPA government had surpassed all records of corruption.
“The government is responsible for the price rise. Since the decontrol of petrol and diesel prices, these have seen 15 upward revisions. The prices have not been increased for the past two months because of the Assembly elections in five states. The prices will rise again after March 1,” he anticipated.
Dubbing the 2G scam as the biggest example of corruption, Mr Karat said that the Supreme Court had ordered cancellation of 122 telecom licences.