We can topple UPA Government in a day: Basu

Kolkata, May 01 (UNI) Veteran CPI (M) leader Jyoti Basu today said the Left parties would continue to support the Congress-led UPA Government at the centre for full five years though it could be toppled any day.

'' This Government is depending on us and we can topple it in a day. But we will continue to extend outside support for five years.

By that time we will have to increase our strength and expand the area of influence,'' he said while addressing a May Day rally of all Left Trade Unions, organised by CITU.

Mr Basu said the decision to support the UPA Government was taken to check the BJP. By destabilising the present Government the Left parties would not be able to capture power since they did not have much of influence beyond three states and needed to reach 90 per cent of the country's workers, who were still in the unorganised sector.

'' We have many shortcomings which we must overcome. We ought to work vigorously for mobilising the unorganised workers, who are the majority and strengthen Left frontal organisations of peasants, workers, students, women and employees,'' he said.

Criticising the UPA Government for toeing the line of the NDA and pursuing the US model of globalisation, the nonagenarian leader alleged that Common Minimum Programme (CMP) was not being followed and interests of the common people were not being protected.

'' Once I asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh why was he blindly following the World Bank directives when he had read Joseph Stiglish, a former advisor of World Bank, who says in his book that there has been a manifold increase in poverty and unemployment because of globalisation,'' he said.

Asserting that strike was the last weapon for workers, Mr Basu said there was a need to protect this right, particularly when the Supreme Court and Tamil Nadu High Court had observed that Government employees did not have the moral right to go for strike. '' We have to negotiate over the issue or go for litigation,'' he added.

Mr Basu, however, indicated that the Left Front Government in West Bengal would go for a suitable legislation to protect the Information Technology sector, certain areas of which were of high importance because of 24-hour work schedule.

'' There are a number of IT call centres where work goes on for 24 hours. This sector did not flourish when the sixth Left Front Government came to power. We may have to enact legislation for its protection and promotion,'' he said.

UNI KDG KK AB LS RN2019