Cong too has no veto power in coilition govt: Left

New Delhi Feb 11: The gulf between the Left and the UPA government seems to be getting ever wider, with the supporting parties today questioning the claim of the Congress that there was no need for consenus on all policy matters.

The Left charged the Congress with interpreting consultations for consenus, ignoring their view point.

They came down heavily on the government for its failure to contain prices which was a result of the misdirected economic policies that were being pursued. "Inflation is like tax on the poor, the peasants and the unorganised groups," the Left leaders told UNI.

Stung by the Congress's claim that it had consulted the Left on disinvesting the three power PSUs, the CPI, CPI(M) and Forward Bloc alledged that it was "a plain lie and added that consultations did not amount to consent. "CPI leaders A B Bardhan and D Raja said," In the absence of consensus. if the government takes any decision unilaterliy, the supporting parties have the right to differ and express their disapproval." Asserting that the government did not constitute of the Congress alone, Mr Bardhan said the ruling party had no veto power or right to ignore the concerns of the Left.

The Congress has contended that it was not incumbent upon the government to take the Left's consent on all policy issues." The recquirement is of consulations and not consensus," Congress spoekperson Abhisehk Manu Singhvi said yesterday.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram claimed that the Government had consulted the Left parties on disinvesting the power PSUs.

CPI National Secretary D Raja found "disconnection" between Mr Singhvi and Mr Chidambaram's contradictory statements. Mr Raja said while Mr Singhvi asserted that there was no need for Left cosensus on all policy matters, the FM claimed that the Left had been consulted on disinvesting power PSUs.

He said on the one hand inflation was on the rise and prices of essential commodities were sky rocketing and on the other hand the government was not paying any heed to Left's suggestion on containing the price rise. The CPI leaders said the Congress would have to pay heavy political price for its adamance on carrying forward its economic agenda dicated by the World Bank, the IMF and other international financial institutions.

CPI(M) leaders M K Pandhe and Salim Mohammad said their party would ponder over the Congress position in the Party polit bureau meeting being held here on February.17-18 and later finalise the strategy in consultaiton with the other Left parties.

Mr Pandhe, the party polit bureau memebr and CITU president, said, "However one thing is certain we will not keep lying low." On rising inflation, Mr Pandhe said," This is just the starting side of inflation. You will see how the prices of essential commodities further shoot up and go beyond control... This is the consequnece of the government's anti-poor and anti-people economic policies against which we have been warning since its inception in 2004." They have already warned the Congress that it would also meet the fate of the NDA which persued the same policies.

Mr Mohammad, party Deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, said at least now Mr Chidambram take serious excercise and initiatie necessary steps to check the spiralling prices. "No cosmatic changes will help". Forward Bloc National Secretary G Devrajan warned that the UPA government's economic policies had already proved disastrous for the poor, the peasantry and the common man.

"Which sections of the people Congress want to please? the Left leaders wanted to know, but came out with the reply themselves." It is the capitalist, indsutrialist and the corporate and above all the US." they added.

UNI