CPI(M)  Polit Bureau has issued the following statements 

THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) is aghast at the deadly gas leak that took place in LG Polymers plant in Visakhapatnam. More than ten people have died so far and nearly a thousand hospitalised. Hospital authorities anticipate the deaths to rise.

This accident is a clear case of criminal negligence by the management of this company. It needs to be properly investigated if all the precautionary measures were taken when the closed plant was restarted after the lockdown restrictions were eased.

People were seen running from their houses in thick smoke and the deaths occurred primarily due to asphyxiation. It is reported that the district authorities failed to intervene in time to take the affected people for treatment.
The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) demands that immediately a judicial enquiry be conducted in a time bound manner and the guilty punished. 

The LG Polymers management must be held culpable and actions must be taken in accordance with the law. The families of those who lost their lives must be paid a compensation of Rs 50 lakhs and adequate compensation must be given to the injured. (May  7)

Condemn the Armed Incursion in Venezuela

THE Communist Party of India (Marxist) condemns the armed incursion launched from Colombia into Venezuela, with the aim of destabilising the democratically elected government of Venezuela.

In the last two days, two groups of armed mercenaries, trained by a US-based security agency and working for US-backed opposition groups in Venezuela, tried to infiltrate into that country. Alert Venezuelan security agencies were able to quickly intercept and thwart the plans of the infiltrators. The huge tranche of evidence gathered by the security agencies shows that the target of these armed infiltrators were high ranking military and government officials.

The US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido had apparently signed a contract with the private security agency based in US to train and launch such armed incursions. The plan seems to be to use the current pandemic to launch an armed incursion, throw the country into chaos and capture power by destabilising the elected government of President Nicholas Maduro.

The CPI(M) condemns the US interference in the sovereign affairs of a country.

The CPI(M) congratulates the government and security forces of Venezuela for standing against US imperialism and defending the interests of the people of their country.

The CPI(M) reiterates its solidarity with the people of Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and President Maduro, who are successfully tackling the Covid-19 pandemic, in spite of the economic sanctions 
imposed by the US and its attempts to destabilise the country.(May 5)

Condemn the Attack on Cuban Embassy in the US

THE Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly condemns the attack on Cuban embassy in Washington, USA. An unidentified individual shot at the embassy using an assault rifle. None of the diplomats were injured due to the presence of Cuban security arrangements.

Vienna Convention mandates that protection of diplomatic missions is  the responsibility of the host country, here the US. The US has failed in providing security to Cuban embassy. The US government authorities have till now neither contacted the Cuban embassy nor issued any official statement condemning the incident.

The policy pronouncements and hostile rhetoric voiced by the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and President Donald Trump have resulted in such an attack.

The attack on the embassy comes at a time when socialist Cuba is leading from the front in the present fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Cuban medical teams are at present serving in 59 countries, spread across Europe, Latin America and African continents. The role of US in encouraging attacks even on such medical personnel, as in Bolivia, is also documented.

The CPI(M) demands the US government to respect the various resolutions passed by the UN condemning the inhuman economic blockade against Cuba. The economic blockade has to be immediately withdrawn and all restrictions imposed have to be rescinded.

The US government should initiate measures to purge all individuals and groups who use it as a base to launch attacks on Cuba. The CPI(M) reiterates its solidarity with socialist Cuba and the glorious people of Cuba who are nobly serving people of the world during the present pandemic. (May 2)

Central  Govt Should Bear Entire Travel Expenses of  Workers

THE home ministry circular which details the conditions of the third phase of lockdown has permitted the movement of trains to take migrants back to their homes. However, it is shocking and condemnable 
that once again apart from giving instructions to state governments, the central government is refusing to take any financial  responsibility. Migrant workers boarding trains from various places to return home are being forced to pay for their own tickets and also for food.  Those who have been asked to board buses are being forced to pay exorbitant rates for travel.

It is sheer cruelty to expect workers who have absolutely no earnings for the last two months because of the lockdown to pay for their own train tickets. Nor can the state governments bear this financial expenditure when they have not received any help whatsoever from the central government.

It must be recalled that the migrants got stranded through no fault of theirs because the central government imposed the lockdown with a notice of just four hours. The Polit Bureau demands that that central government should bear the entire travel expenses of the workers who want to go back to their homes. All arrangements for their safe travel within the state must be made by the state government concerned. (May 2)