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Tamil Nadu
CPI(M) to abide by State committee view on alliance
| There is an effort to present an electoral alternative at national level: Karat |
CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat and State secretary N. Varadarajan addressing a press conference in Chennai on Saturday.
CHENNAI: CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat on Saturday said that the party’s national leadership would go by the opinion of the State committee on the alliance in Tamil Nadu for the Lok Sabha elections.
“There is an effort to present an electoral alternative at the national level. We have held consultations with various political parties, and in Tamil Nadu we are discussing how to finalise our stand,” he said when asked about the party’s efforts to form a third front with actor Vijayakant’s Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam.
On the prospects of an alliance with the AIADMK, since its general secretary has said that she is not averse to an alliance with the Left, Mr. Karat, who was here to attend the party’s State committee meeting, said, “There are a number of parties which are looking for some way to present an alternative.” The CPI (M) would like them to consider working out a common approach instead of just coming together for the election.
About reports that the CPI had reservations about an alliance with Mr. Vijayakant, he said the CPI (M), too, had not taken a decision to align with anybody as yet. “The CPI is holding consultations. We are holding our own. Then we will sit with the CPI and try to come to a common understanding.”
Asked whether the consultations would include the AIADMK, he said the State committee would give its opinion on the matter. “On that basis, we will decide whom to consult and whom not to consult. We have not decided anything yet and we are open. As far as the all India leadership is concerned, we will go by first what our State committee says.”
Saying that the party was disappointed by the Congress-led UPA government’s failure to tackle communalism, he said it was not taking action against the Bajrang Dal though its allies in the government and Union ministers belonging to three political parties had demanded it. On the demand for taking action against SIMI, he said if the law applied to SIMI, it should apply to the Bajrang Dal, too. “We are not saying don’t take action against the SIMI. Take action against the Bajrang Dal and any organisation that resorts to terrorist activities and openly unleashes violence against other communities.”
To a question whether the party’s decision to support the UPA government was a historical blunder, he said everything was not either a historical blunder or a crowning achievement. “In the situation where we had six years of BJP-led government, it was important to oust it and put in place a secular government. We tried and succeeded. Now the situation is different. Many other issues have come up and this government thinks it can tackle communalism by aligning with American imperialism.”
Alleging that the Congress-led government was not convening a fresh session of Parliament because it did not have a majority, Mr. Karat said the government wanted to avoid a no-confidence motion. The CPI (M) would oppose the government’s decision to hike FDI in the insurance sector from 26 to 49 per cent. The party wanted the price of petrol and diesel to be reduced in the wake of decrease in the oil price in the international market. “It will bring down the prices of essential commodities and benefit the common man,” Mr. Karat said.
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