Continuing its offensive against UPA government?s policies and laying out ?fresh? plans to ?isolate? the BJP, the CPI(M)?s nineteenth party congress begun here on Saturday.
Boasting that the party is ?proud of its record? in opposing the ?neo-liberal? economic policies, it said the UPA government could not ?convince? the CPI(M) and the Left the need of such initiatives, including FDI in banking, insurance and retail sectors.
?We have not hesitated to criticise and oppose policy measures which detract from economic sovereignty and people?s interests,? CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat said delivering his address at the conference, attended by about 725 delegates and 50 members from countries like China, Cuba, Vietnam and the US.
?The UPA government has not been able to convince the Left, why they need to handover Indian banks to foreign private banks, or open up the insurance sector further to FDI. How is FDI retail trade beneficial when it will lead to the loss of livelihood for millions of shopkeepers and traders? Is putting pension funds of government employees in the stock market, the best way to ensure security? Why can?t the government strengthen the public distribution system?? Karat asked.
Eyeing the General Elections, the Left parties have also started pitching for a third alternative, with both the CPI(M) and the CPI reiterating the ?need to isolate? the BJP. The parties have also started the efforts to prevent a further grouping of regional parties around the BJP.