Strengthen comman man's hand : Yechuri

Mangalore, Nov 10 (UNI) The CPI(M) today asked the UPA government at the Centre to strengthen the hands of the comman man, who has lost the purchasing power and to repay loans, while taking corrective steps to fight the global economic downturn.

Speaking to reporters here, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechuri, after attending a party function, said the government should make more public investments and empower the common people while fighting the crisis.

He said any 'wrong diagnosis or prescription', while dealing with the situation would lead to economic devastation.

''The government should strengthen borrowers who have lost the capacity to purchase and repay their loans. Instead of focusing on liquidity, the UPA government should try to solve the problems of the common man and create more employment, he said and accused the Centre of strengthening the hands of the 'lender', instead of coming to the rescue of the helpless public.

The UPA government should immediately lower the prices of petroleum products and bring down the issue price of food grains in PDS.

He cautioned that the global economic slowdown may hit the country's automobile sector leading to jobs cut of more than 25 million people.

To a question, he said communalism had advanced capitalism and it was the two faces of the same coin and his party would fight against such forces.

On the coming Lok Sabha elections, he said, the re-emergence of third front was taking shape and the left and other like-minded parties had started working on a strategy to defeat both the BJP and the Congress.

''We are already in touch with parties like BSP, Telugu Desam Party and JD(S) not only for the coming election but also for future combinations,'' he said.

CPM State Secretary Nagaraj said the party was celebrating month long 'Souhardha Karnataka Rajyotsav' in the state to advocate communal peace and harmony. It also planned to organise statewide 'Jatha' from three points Gokarna, Basavakalyan and Bababudangiri from December 10 to 15.

It would culminate in Bangalore on December 22, where a huge rally would be organised, he added.

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