DELHI
HUNDREDS of people participated in the joint march of the Left Parties led by CPI(M), CPI, CPI (ML)-Liberation, AIFB, RSP and CGPI from Mandi House to Jantar Manch on February 18, where it culminated in a public meeting.
Prakash Karat, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member, while addressing the public meeting pointed that the budget does not provide any way out of the slowdown plaguing the Indian economy. Modi government provided tax concessions of Rs 1.45 lakh crore to the corporates last September. Now, shares of public sector undertakings(PSUs) worth lakhs of crores are being sold. Not only this, the government spending in the public welfare schemes has been cut down. While tax concessions are being given to the corporates, the burden of slowdown has been put on the working class. Prakash Karat pointed that instead of taking steps to bring back the economy on track, government is trying to divide people using the divisive communal agenda. He pointed to the need of fighting BJP’s economic policies as well as its communal policy.
The public meeting was also addressed by CPI general secretary, D Raja, CPI (ML)-Liberation’s Delhi state secretary, Ravi Rai, CGPI’s(Communist Ghadhar Party of India) Santosh and other leaders.
KERALA
IN Thiruvananthapuram, on February 18, 2020, a large number of people under the banner of Left Democratic Front have marched towards the central government offices to register their protest against the anti- people proposals in the central budget. The protesters raised the slogans against the central government’s hostile attitude towards Kerala. Dharnas were organized in all 140 assembly constituencies and prominent LDF leaders addressed the protesters.
The budgetary allocations for railway and AIIMS were insufficient. Central public sector units in Kerala are also left unnoticed in the budget. The protesters alleged that the central government ruled by BJP has a political vendetta against Kerala, and this is reflected in the budget.
While inaugurating the dharna before the Head Post office in Malappuram, CPI (M) Central Committee member and LDF convener, A Vijayaraghavan said that Modi government functions in a payback mode to serve their corporate bosses. The corporates in India had invested millions of money to assure the victory of BJP in the Lok Sabha election. The government through its budgetary provisions has expressed its gratitude towards these corporates. Huge tax concessions are given to the super rich in country, while the ordinary people in the country became poorer day by day. Sky rocketing price rise has affected the larger section of the population, he said.
CPIM CC member, K Radhakrishnan inaugurated the dharna at Pudukkad Post Office in Thrissur district. CPIM district secretary, Anavoor Nagappan and CPI assistant secretary, Prakash Babu inaugurated dharnas in various centers in Thiruvananthapuram. CPIM state secretariat member K N Balagopal and state committee member K Varadarajan inaugurated dharnas in Kollam district.
RAJASTHAN
LEFT Parties organised a joint protest march in Jaipur city, capital of Rajasthan against the anti-people budget of the Modi government and also against the recent 11 per cent hike in electricity tariff by the Ashok Gehlot government of the state. One memorandum addressing to the President of India against the deceptive anti-people budget and another one addressing to the CM of Rajasthan demanding immediate roll back of the hike in electricity rates were submitted through the district magistrate.
