'Labour movement in grip of mafias': Fernandes

Patna, May 01 (UNI) Former Defence Minister and Hind Mazdoor Kisan Panchayat (HMKP) president George Fernandes today alleged that labour movement was in the grip of mafias.

Addresssing the workers conference of HMKP on the occasion of 'May Day' here, Mr Fernandes said the mafias had not only entered into the labour movement but were also successful in having complete control over it.

He said the corrupt practices were ruling the roost in the trade unions and exhorted labourers and farmers to wage a movement against it.

''We could not afford to sit idle by taking a plea that everybody was corrupt and hence the menace could not be combated,'' the former JD(U) president remarked.

Attacking the UPA governments economic initiatives, he said Dr Manmohan Singh's economic policy was corollary to what he did as finance minister in the former Narasimha Rao government.

Mr Fernandes said the ecomomic policy was only enriching the rich and noted how the assets of few people were measured in the American dollars now and some of them bracketed with the richest of the world.

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