Basu dismisses CPI(M) support withdrawal to UPA
Kolkata, Apr 20: Disagreeing with the CPI and Forward Bloc for withdrawal of support to the UPA Government at the Centre, veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu today said the CPI(M) had no such immediate plan, which could pave way for BJP's comeback.
''We had no such deliberation in our party. We extended support to the UPA to check the BJP...we cannot allow them to come back,'' he told reporters after attending the CPI(M) State Secretariat meeting.
He described the BJP as a ''dangerous'' and ''communal'' party, which he said was trying to divide people on religious lines.
Mr Basu's remarks came a few days after CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan proposed withdrawal of outside support by four Left parties to the Congress-led coalition Government because of its ''anti-people'' policies and non-implementation of the Common Minimum Programme.
The Forward Bloc had also called a plennum to discuss whether the party should continue to support the UPA government.
However, reiterating that neither was the coalition Government implementing the promises made in the CMP nor was it accepting the proposal for amendment to the SEZ act, Mr Basu said the Left parties would continue to hold talks with the UPA as well as raise the issue in Parliament.
''We are supporting them on the basis of CMP. But the Women's Reservation Bill and many other things got stuck up. We are pressing them to amend the SEZ act, but they have done nothing. We have to discuss in Parliament on the differences of view among us,'' he said.
Admitting that the Left allies too had differences among themselves on the question of SEZ, Mr Basu said the Left Coordination Committee would shortly meet to come to a consensus on the issue.
UNI