CPI Parliament march on Nov 23, general strike on Dec 14

Lucknow, Oct 16 (UNI) The Communist Party of India (CPI), which supports the UPA government at the Centre, today said it would hold a march to Parliament on November 23 and observe a general strike on December 14 against the ''pro-rich'' economic policies of the central government.

''We will force the Centre to shed its pro-rich economic policy througjh an agitation and take to the streets for the common man,'' CPI secretary and leader of the parliamentary party Gurudas Dasgupta said here.

Addressing a press conference, Mr Dasgupta said there are at least three million job vacanies in different government and non-government organisations in the country but the Centre was not interested in filling these.

''We held several rounds of meetings with Prime minister Manmohan Singh and other departments concerned but nothing could be resolved,'' he added.

On whether the November 23 and December 14 agitations were part of a 'shadow boxing' match between the CPI and the Congress, the CPI leader claimed that due to their efforts and stiff resistance, several anti-poor laws could not be passed in Parliament.

''It is better to support in the government and force it to consider our demands rather than withdrawing support and giving an opportunity to the communal forces to re-gain power,'' he said. He said the Left parties did not want to force mid-term polls on the country.

Alleging that the UPA government was not following the common Minimum Programme (CMP), Mr Dasgupta said the recent statements of the Prime Minister during his foreign tour on economic policies were anti-people. ''We will raise the issue in the next session of Parliament,'' he said.

UNI MB NAB PR HT1737/HS1938