Patna: CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat today welcomed the ongoing efforts of unity among the constituents of erstwhile Janata Parivar to take on a resurgent BJP saying the Left parties will coordinate with them in Parliament.
"We welcome the ongoing bid by the erstwhile constituents of Janata Parivar to come together....it will definitely strengthen the opposition unity against the ruling NDA government at the Centre," Karat told reporters here.
However, the CPI(M) and other Left parties will look forward to more clarity on policies and programmes of the Janata Parivar members before taking a call on backing them, he said.
To begin with, the CPI(M) will coordinate with the constituents of erstwhile Janata Parivar in Parliament during the winter session beginning later this month, Karat said.
The CPI(M) General Secretary also hit out at the Narendra Modi government for pursuing 'anti-poor' and 'anti-people' policies saying that the NDA government was bent on undermining the universal character of the Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Act (MNREGA) by slashing funds to the states under this central flagship scheme aimed at generating employment in the rural areas.
The funds to state under MNREGA has been slashed by nearly 50 per cent by the NDA government which has decided to slash labour component of the scheme that will adversely affect employment generation for rural families, Karat said, adding Tripua, being ruled out the CPI(M)-led Left Front, has been the worst affected with 47 per cent reduction in allocation of funds under this head.
Tripura has been the best performing state in implementation of MNREGA by generating 88 man days' employment for rural families as against the national average at 45 man days, he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also set out on agenda to reform labour laws in the country which will lead to retrenchment of labourers in all type of industrial activities in the country, Karat said.
Asked about BJP's resurgence at the national level, CPI(M) leader said non-performance of the Congress-led UPA government was mainly responsible for the upsurge of the saffron party.
There was strong anti-incumbency wave against the UPA government which had performed poorly during its two terms in power at the Centre, Karat pointed out and said that there was strong resentment among the people who voted for the NDA in the hope of a better future.
In West Bengal, the CPI(M) leader accused both Trinamool Congress and BJP for playing communal politics for their narrow electoral interests and said that the Left parties will seek to retrieve its lost political ground in the state.
Once the left parties retrieve its lost political ground, the surge of the TMC and BJP will be contained automatically, Karat said.
The CPI(M) leader also lashed out at NCP leader Sharad Pawar for praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and lending a hand to the NDA government's 'Swachh Bharat' campaign saying that Pawar has lost his secular bearing after engaging with the communal forces in Maharashtra.
The CPI(M), he said, has decided to observe 'Pratishodh Divas' across the country on November 26 next during which the Left parties will also gherao Parliament to register their protest against the 'anti-poor' and 'anti-people' policies of the Modi government.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar will take part in the agitation at New Delhi on November 26 to protest the slashing of funds under MNREGA particularly in his state, Karat said.
The Left party has identified nine policies mooted by the Centre, comprising slashing of MNREGA funds, framing of pro-industry labour laws and change in land acquisition policy among others, against which the Left parties will launch a nationwide campaign on December five next.
All six left parties - CPI(M), CPI(ML) Liberation, Forward Bloc, RSP, SUCI and CPI - will run an awareness campaign throughout the country for a fortnight next month, the CPI(M) general secretary said.
Karat, who was here to attend a dharna being organized by the Left parties to protest against anti-people and anti-farmer policies of the central government, expressed concern at the spate in atrocities against the dalits, mahadalits and women and regretted that the JD(U) government was doing little to contain crime against the weaker sections.
The crime against dalits and mahadalits has increased even as there has been spurt in gangrape and atrocities against the women in Bihar, Karat observed and rued that the JD(U) government has done little to prevent such activities which, he claimed, was being carried out by the casteist and related elements whose confidence has been boosted by rise of the BJP at the national level.
