Protesting against the UPA-II government’s decision to hike diesel price, allow FDI in retail and put a restriction on subsidised LPG cylinders, the Left Front has called a 12-hour general strike across the country on September 20.
CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat announced the strike at the West Bengal party headquarters at Alimuddin Street on Sunday.
Urging the people to make the general strike in protest against the 'anti-people decisions of the UPA government' a success, Left Front chairman Biman Bose said the strike will be observed from 6 am to 6 pm.
The Left’s protest programme significantly coincides with the NDA’s nationwide strike on the same day on the same issues.
“We have decided to call a 12-hour all-India general strike after discussing the issues with other political parties. We shall meet again. If the government continues to go ahead with its policies, we will have to intensify action,” Mr Karat said.
Threatening to undertake protests in various facets against the recent measures, he warned the battle will not end on September 20 and that the Left will not allow the retail chains to function countrywide.
Mr Karat said, “Everybody is opposing the FDI in multi-brand retail. The only exception is Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who is more sensitive to criticism from abroad. What is said in Washington and London has been more important to him than the interest of the people of the country.”
Taking a dig at the Centre’s decision to welcome 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail, Mr Karat said, “The Prime Minister has been trying to get this through since 2005. I don’t understand why this interest in getting Walmart in India.”
On the Trinamul Congress’ 72-hour deadline to the Centre, the CPI(M) general secretary said, “I don’t know why the Trinamul Congress failed to prevent the entry of FDI despite being in the Cabinet.''
''During the UPA-I, we were not in the government and were providing support from outside but we stopped FDI. If we could stop it for four years, why couldn’t they now?”
Mr Karat further added that the diesel price hike and restriction on subsidised LPG cylinders will “harm the interests” of the common people of the country.
Meanwhile, bantering the Left’s programme coinciding with the NDA’s, state panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee said, “The Left’s call for a bandh is influenced by jealousy and greed. L.K. Advani and Biman Bose have become one now. The BJP and CPI(M) have made an alliance at a meeting between them secretly in Delhi and Mr Karat only announced the decision of that meeting in Kolkata.”
The Mamata Banerjee government will, however oppose, the bandh.
“All necessary measures will be taken on our part to keep the public life normal in the state,” he informed.