CPI-M to protest UPA policies, support to continue

By IANS

New Delhi : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) is unhappy with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government and its policies, but it does not plan to withdraw support to it as it would "only help the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the rightwing forces," says a party document.


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The document, a report on political developments, adopted by CPI-M's central committee meeting in June last week, also said it would continue to maintain its relations with the Samajwadi Party, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) – all members of the recently announced 'third front', United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA).

"Unhappiness with the government's policies and performance should be expressed by the party taking a firm and independent position," the report said.

The CPI-M, which along with three other Left parties extends outside support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, reiterated that the communists would not pull it down.

Pointing out that one of its allies, the Communist Party of India (CPI), had asked the Left to review its support, the document said: " Withdrawal of support to the government by the Left parties would mean bringing down the government. At this juncture this would be counterproductive and the resultant crisis will only help the BJP and the rightwing forces."

The party urged its activists to be "more assertive both inside and outside parliament" against the government's policies and performance.

"We should take positions on the issues when they come up. On all policy matters and people's issues we should be more assertive both inside and outside parliament. Our intervention should be backed up by mass campaigns and movements," the document said.

The Left has been critical of Manmohan Singh government's economic and foreign policies.

The document said the central committee has decided to maintain its relations with the UNPA, although the CPI-M does not subscribe to the idea of a third grouping.

"Our discussions with them on the presidential elections were helpful as this combination decided not to support (Vice President Bhairon Singh) Shekhawat since he belonged to the BJP. We shall continue to maintain our relations with the Samajwadi Party, TDP and the AGP, so that in future we can work out some common approach for joint actions."

While the four-party Left supports UPA presidential candidate Pratibha Patil, some of the allies in the UNPA had announced that they would not support either her or Shekhawat, an independent candidate backed by BJP, in the July 19 presidential election.

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