Left parties to protest price rise

Intensifying their offensive against the UPA government, the Left parties on Tuesday decided to launch a week-long agitation from July 13 to protest its "inaction" in checking spiraling prices and the divestment policy, while appealing to Congress allies in the ruling coalition to mount pressure on these issues.

Accusing the government of taking no concrete steps to check price rise, CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan said "whatever steps it (government) has taken so far is too little and too late. The government has messed up the whole issue".

Announcing that the four parties would launch protests including demonstrations and rallies across the country from July 13 to 19, he said the moves to divest stake in NALCO, Neyveli Lignite Corporation and NMDC was being opposed by trade unions and the Left parties are fully backing them.

"We appeal to the UPA partners to intervene and see that government reconsiders its decision to disinvest in the profitable public sector units which goes against the CMP commitment," Bardhan said quoting a joint statement by CPI(M), CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc, which have accused the Congress of "shedding crocodile tears" on the prices front.

The three-hour long meeting was attended by Prakash Karat, Sitaram Yechury (both CPI-M), Bardhan and D Raja (CPI), Abani Roy (RSP), Debabrata Biswas and G Devarajan (Forward Bloc).