Kerala   

LDF joins issue with Sonia

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Left Democratic Front (LDF) convener Vaikom Viswan has said Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s recent remarks on the performance of the LDF government in the State are “neither realistic, nor in line with democratic traditions.”

In a statement here on Sunday, he said the Left parties were supporting the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) out of power. This was part of a principled political stand, adopted without wishing even the privilege of holding Ministerial berths.

This support was not for implementing the policies of the Congress.

On the other hand, it was for implementing the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) agreed to between the Left parties and the UPA. The Left parties would definitely take a strong stand in the matter whenever the UPA government deviated from the CMP.

“The statement made [by Ms. Sonia Gandhi] without taking cognizance of this viewpoint would be dismissed with derision by the politically conscious people of Kerala,” Mr. Viswan said.

He said the neglect being shown to the State by the Union government was beyond pardonable levels. While the 10th Finance Commission had awarded 3.9 per cent of the Central tax receipts to the State, the 13th had brought down the share to 2.7 per cent.

The Union government was treating Kerala as though it had the liberty to do what it pleased with the State, Mr. Viswan said.

He said the Union government was squarely responsible for destroying the public distribution system in the State, thereby making the lives of the poor people difficult.

The allocation of ration rice to the State had been cut by 82 per cent this year. The hike in prices of petroleum products, too, had resulted in general price increase in this consumerist State.

The selfsame party whose policies had led to the problem of price increase was now calling for a State-wide hartal to highlight the issue, he said.

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