CPM, CPI to protest joint naval exercises with US Navy

Shimla, Sep 5 (UNI) The Himachal Pradesh units of the CPM and the CPI today decided to hold demonstrations across the state on September 10 in protest against the Central government's decision to hold joint naval exercises with US Navy in the bay of Bengal.

In a joint press release here, CPM's state secretariat member Tikender Singh Panwar and CPI's state secretary Vasudev Vasu said they have decided to hold protest rallies at all district headquartes on September 10 against the Centre's decision.

The Central Government was going against what has been stated in the common minimum programme (CMP) of pursuing independent foreign policy, they said.

The Left leaders said they were opposed to the country's growing military collaboration with the US as it was against its interests and compromised its sovereignty and independent foreign policy.

They said the military exercises, which were earlier held between the US, Australia and Japan, were now being extended to India as a first step towards quadrilateral security cooperation, jeopardising the country's military interests.

The parties would launch a massive campaign to expose the UPA Government's ''hollow claims'' on military exercises with the US, they added.

UNI