Left withdraws support to UPA in Andhra

Vijayawada, Aug 5: Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M) Central Committee member V Srinivasa Rao today said the Left parties had withdrawn support to Congress led UPA government at the Centre only because the latter violated the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP).

Addressing a press conference here, he said before withdrawing the support, the Left parties had taken into account the issues which were affecting the interests of the country.

Though there was no mention in the NCMP about striking a civilian nuclear deal with the United States, the UPA Government went ahead, ignoring the Left concerns and brought the country under US's strategic designs, which would propagate US's interests in agriculture, education, trade and commerce, he added.

Mr Rao said the party would launch a state-wide agitation to highlight the Central and the state government's failure to control price rise, which affected the common man.

The party would spearhead a mass movement and also against the failure of the Centre to check the rising inflation, he added.

He said the party cadre would lay siege to the collectorates and mandal offices between August 13 to 20 on these issues and the leaders would raise the issue in the state assembly.

Referring to the performance of the Rajasekhara Reddy government, he alleged that rampant corruption was prevailing in the state and Jalayagnam programme was only benefitting to the contractors.

UNI