Date:28/04/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/04/28/stories/2004042813081100.htm

National

BJP responsible for agrarian crisis: Karat

By Our Staff Reporter

MELUR (MADURAI DIST.), APRIL 27 . The Bharatiya Janata Party is solely responsible for the agrarian crisis prevailing in the country, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) politburo member, Prakash Karat, said today.

The "anti-farmer" policies of the National Democratic Alliance had forced thousands of farmers to commit suicide. "In Andhra Pradesh alone, 3,189 farmers took the extreme step owing to poverty. The ban on power subsidy, coupled with meagre investments in the agriculture sector, and the lifting of restrictions on foreign agricultural commodities, led to huge crop losses," he said addressing an election meeting in support of his party's Madurai Lok Sabha candidate, P. Mohan, here.

While the country was reeling under poverty and unemployment, the BJP was propagating the `India Shining' campaign, which pertained to only 10 per cent of the population comprising the affluent class. "The single biggest failure of the BJP Government is that it ruined the farming community."

The Centre had "failed" to fulfil its promise of creating one crore jobs per year. "They have, in fact, abolished hundreds of jobs in the government and public sector undertakings. The Vajpayee-led Government is determined to privatise every service, including health, education, electricity and water supply. As long as the BJP is in power, there will be no relief to the poor and needy."

Mr. Karat said that after two rounds of polls, it was clear that the BJP alliance would face a defeat in many States, including Andhra Pradesh. ``The defeat of the BJP combine was the beginning of the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's fall in Tamil Nadu," he claimed.

He said the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, had set a "world record" by dismissing two lakh government employees, depriving them of their democratic right to strike.

The Prevention of Terrorism Act was "misused" against Opposition leaders. The defeat of the BJP would not lead to a hung Parliament but instead pave the way for the secular democratic forces to form a new Government at the Centre, he said.