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Evolve common programme, CPI tells Congress

By Our Staff Reporter

PALAKKAD, MAY 2 . The general secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI), A.B. Bardhan, today said that his party would consider "joining a Government led by the Congress at the Centre on the basis of a minimum common programme on urgent issues affecting the common man".

Addressing a press conference at the CPI district committee office here, the CPI leader said that the "first priority of his party is to try to form a Government of secular parties with the support of the Congress from outside as had happened in 1996 when the United Front Government was supported by the Congress from outside. If that fails, the party would consider joining a secular Government led by the Congress on the basis of a minimum common programme on immediate issues affecting the people,'' the CPI general secretary said.

He said the Left parties had differences with the Congress on the economic liberalisation policy that was introduced by the Narasimha Rao Government in the early nineties.

On the question of fighting communal forces also, the Congress was not taking a firm stand. This was evident in Gujarat and other places, he said.

Even in Kerala, the A.K. Antony Government had compromised with communal forces on the Marad violence, Mr. Bardhan said. Replying to a question on the alleged soft attitude of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mulayam Singh Yadav, towards the Bharatiya Janata Party, Mr. Bardhan said he was sure that "Mr. Yadav would remain with the secular forces and this had been made clear by him and his party general secretary, Amar Singh".

He said the BJP's attempts to woo the minorities would not yield any results as it knows the real intentions of the party. If the party was sincere towards the minorities' problems, it should have removed Narendra Modi from the Chief Ministership of Gujarat.

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