The Hindu : National : Left needs no certificate from Advani, says CPI

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 20, 2005

National

National

Left needs no certificate from Advani, says CPI

Staff Reporter

MADURAI: The Left parties need no certificate from Bharatiya Janata Party president L.K. Advani on their reliability, Communist Party of India national secretary D. Raja said on Thursday.

"Since rabid anti-communism is part of the BJP's ideology, the comment of Mr. Advani is no surprise to us. However, we don't take his statements seriously," Mr. Raja told The Hindu here. Mr. Advani had on Wednesday cautioned Prime Minister Manmohan Singh against depending on support from the Left parties.

The CPI leader said Mr. Advani was heading a party that had "contempt" for the people and democratic principles. "By disrupting proceedings in both the Houses, the National Democratic Alliance has only betrayed the interests of the people."

On the BJP's willingness to support the Centre in on vital reforms, Mr. Raja said there was a "mala fide intention" in the offer since Mr. Advani was only trying "to safeguard the interests of multi-national companies and capitalists."

Mr. Raja said the Left parties had never indulged in duplicity and had made their stand and demands clear in the common minimum programme. "The interests of the country and the concerns of the Left have always been the same."

To a question on "double-digit inclusive growth," he said the NDA had launched the `India Shining' campaign even as farmers committed suicide across the country owing to extreme poverty. "The BJP ignored its own swadeshi concept and promoted MNCs. They pursued the Hindutva agenda backed by a communal fascist ideology. The UPA is now trying to undo the misdeeds of the BJP," he said.

The UPA was a secular democratic coalition that was focussing on economic reforms with a human face as stressed by Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National