The Hindu : National : Bardhan asks Congress, SP to halt slanging match

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 14, 2004

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National

Bardhan asks Congress, SP to halt slanging match

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JUNE 13. As the war of words between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party continued, the Communist Party of India today suggested that both parties exercise restraint and hoped that the verbal exchange would stop soon.

The CPI general secretary, A.B. Bardhan, told The Hindu that it was necessary for both parties to end the verbal duel. "Otherwise, it would be seen that two secular parties were fighting each other," he said on a day when the party's national council took note of the development, reviewed party performance in the recent general elections, the stand on the formation of the United Progressive Alliance Government (UPA) and cleared organisational changes.

"Let there be a halt to the slanging match,'' he said and added that the issue of law and order was a problem in many other States.

Mr. Bardhan's reaction came in the wake of the criticism by the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, and the newly-elected MP from Amethi, Rahul Gandhi, regarding the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh. This led to a sharp retort from the Samajwadi Party leadership.

The Congress has been supporting the Samajwadi Party-led coalition Government in Uttar Pradesh from outside, even as a section of party members from the State were demanding that the party withdraw support.

At the end of its three-day meet, the CPI national council endorsed the stand taken by its national executive to extend support to the Congress-led UPA Government from outside. Last month, the executive meeting decided to go along with the three other Left parties in the decision not to join the Government, though many favoured the party joining the Manmohan Singh Government. It is understood that there were a few members in the Council who suggested that the Left parties should have joined the Government.

There are indications that the party would soon carry out organisational changes by drafting new members to the executive and dropping some. The party was likely to bring in members to its national executive, including from among the newly-elected MPs.

It is understood that a resolution expressing concern over the suicides of farmers in Andhra Pradesh was adopted. The party blamed the previous National Democratic Alliance Government at the Centre and the erstwhile Chandrababu Naidu Government in Andhra Pradesh for the plight of the peasants. The resolution suggests a moratorium on farmers loan, including re-scheduling of repayment in instalments, abolition of interest and writing off of debts of small and marginal farmers.

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