Kerala

Left parties saved country from economic crisis: VS

TIRUR: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has said that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre is indebted to the Left for saving the country from the wave of economic crises battering the world’s major nations.

“But the UPA constituents are oblivious of this fact,” he told a large gathering of workers here on Saturday evening.

Mr. Achuthanandan was inaugurating a public meeting marking the conclusion of the three-day State council of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).

The Chief Minister said the UPA was trying to push through several programmes that would help the capitalist forces after the withdrawal of support by the Left. “Our Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram, says the country and its economy are stable. But it is false,” he said.

He said the Centre had given crores of rupees to save capitalist banks such as ICICI Bank.

The crisis was still a possibility, he warned.

Mr. Achuthanandan said the Satyagraha he and his colleagues held in Delhi on Friday was against the Centre’s attempts to choke the State’s food needs.

“The Centre has turned against the State especially after the Left withdrew its support to the UPA government,” he said.

He said the Centre was trying to throttle the State by slashing the statutory ration started more than four decades ago.

Several appeals had already been made to the Centre, and the Satyagraha was the last resort by the State Government to protest against the Centre’s attitude, he said.

CITU national president M.K. Pandhe addressed the public meeting. CITU State president

K.N. Ravindranath presided over the function. P.P. Abdulla Kutty, MLA, welcomed the gathering. T.K. Hamza, MP, and CITU State secretary M.M. Lawrence spoke.

Hundreds of workers and their families took part in a mass rally in the afternoon. Many of the workers appeared in their work dress.

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