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Plan for joint agitation against price rise

Special Correspondent

UNPA, Left parties to launch nationwide struggle soon; Karat not averse to idea, says Naidu

Photo: P.V. Sivakumar

Talks over tea: CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan (second from right) at a meeting with Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu in Hyderabad on Wednesday. CPI leaders Gurudas Dasgupta, D. Raja and TDP leader T. Devender Goud are also seen.

HYDERABAD: The United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) and Left parties would launch a nationwide joint struggle against price rise in the coming days.

This was made clear both by CPI general secretary A. B. Bardhan and UNPA convenor N. Chandrababu Naidu while speaking to mediapersons after a breakfast meeting hosted by the latter at his Jubilee Hills residence here on Wednesday.

Apart from Mr. Bardhan, other CPI leaders, who attended included Gurudas Dasgupta, D. Raja, Amarjit Kaur, S. Sudhakar Reddy and Puvvada Nageswara Rao. From the TDP side, T. Devender Goud, Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, Ravula Chandrasekhara Reddy and K. Ramamohan Rao attended. The CPI leaders are here to participate in their party’s 20th national congress.

Emerging from the meeting Mr. Bardhan said: “We are old friends. We have worked together in the past when United Front was in power at Centre.” The CPI has decided to launch a militant movement against price rise on April 17 and 18 and the CPI (M) too had similar plans, he added. He expressed the hope that the UNPA would support the struggle.

Mr. Naidu said he had spoken to CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat a few days ago and the UNPA was not averse to the idea.

To another question on third alternative, he said there was no discussion on political situation today. It was only on issues affecting people. “Both Left parties and the UNPA are working for the third alternative.”

Mr. Naidu said though Congress-led UPA government talked about inclusive growth, in reality, many sections were left out of development process. Their reforms have only benefited the rich while the poor have become poorer. Farming sector has been neglected and the recommendations of Swaminathan committee and Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices have not been implemented.

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