New Delhi (PTI): The CPI(M) on Wednesday condemned as "bad, indecent and cruel" US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's statement that the global food shortage was due to the improved diets of the people in India and China.

"The whole presumption is that the developing world is suddenly eating more than they were and suddenly they are not suffering from malnultrition as they were," CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said here.

"The comments are bad and indecent and cruel," he told reporters.

He said the United Nations has confirmed two days ago that the rise in food prices, besides being due to decline in production in some parts of the world, is essentially due to speculation trade.

"And the people making profit from this speculation are mostly companies from the United States of America. So they are the ones who are responsible for the rise in prices of foodgrains," Yechury said.

Asked if the CPI(M) feels the Government should react to Rice's comment, he said, "I don't think it merits any reaction. I think it should be dismissed outright."

Rice yesterday said the "improvement in the diets of people in India and China" is forcing the governments in the two countries to keep food "inside", which is a cause for the current global supply shortage.