Date:10/02/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/10/stories/2008021059601000.htm

National

We don’t need BJP’s advice: Yechury

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Asserting the party’s resolve to prevent communal forces from coming to power, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has said the Bharatiya Janata Party need not give advice on the course of action that the CPI (M) should take.

Responding to senior BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu’s query as to why the Left parties were continuing support to the United Progressive Alliance despite its “misrule,” CPI (M) Polit Bureau member and MP Sitaram Yechury told reporters here on Saturday that the BJP was hopeful of coming back to power if the Left withdrew its support. “But we are not here to finalise our policies for their convenience,” he said.

Mr. Yechury said the party would continue to mount pressure on the Centre to abide by the common minimum programme within and outside Parliament. The pressure mounted by the Left had ensured implementation of certain schemes in the interests of the people and the parties would build up public movements when the UPA deviated from the CMP.

Asked to elaborate on what the CPI (M) perceived as pro-people measures, he replied: “Do you want me to prepare a balance sheet of the works. It is up to you.”

The CPI (M) leader asserted that problems including the large-scale suicides by farmers persisted during the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance rule too when more than 21,000 farmers took the extreme step every year. The CPI (M) was demanding that the Centre take steps to ensure that farmers secured institutionalised credit at four per cent interest and minimum support price should be declared to meet the expenses incurred by them.

On China’s criticism of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh, he said the State formed part of India and the two governments were holding discussions to resolve the dispute. The CPI (M) was committed to its stand against the India-United States nuclear deal and the issue would be discussed by the UPA-Left coordination committee after the delegation holding talks with the IAEA submitted its support.