UPA pursuing NDA policies, says Karat

Shimla, Aug 31 (UNI) Disapproving of the UPA government's performance over the last two years, senior CPM leader Brinda Karat today accused the BJP of failing to provide real opposition to the Congress government at the Centre and said this was due to the similar economic policies of both the parties.

Addressing a press conference here, she said the BJP had failed to act as an effective opposition to the UPA government, mainly due to the similar polices being pursued earlier by the NDA and now by the UPA.

Ms Karat said since the UPA Government had taken the NDA's track on several issues, it was logical for the BJP to remain inactive, while the Left Parties played the role of an effective opposition.

During the monsoon session, the Left parties were successful in raising several issues concerning the common people, while the BJP was raising non-issues in the House to gain cheap popularity, she said.

Accusing the UPA government of failing to check the prices of essential commodities in the country, she claimed that the rise was mainly due to an amendment in the Future Trading in Essential Commodities and Essential Commodities Act during the previous NDA Government and five times hike in the fuel prices during the last two years.

After the Central Government allowed Future Trading in Essential Commodities, the prices of wheat had gone up by around Rs 200 per quintal this year, she claimed.

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