Govt 'running away' from Parliament: Dasgupta

Kochi, Aug 11: CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta today alleged that the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre was ''running away'' from Parliament after winning the vote of confidence through ''dubious means.'' Talking to newspersons here, Mr Dasgupta said the government has not yet given any notification for the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

''The government, by postponing the monsoon session, was denying its members the right to discuss issues affecting people,'' he said.

''The government has won the trust vote through dubious means and was not sure of its position in Parliament,'' he alleged.

Asked whether horse trading was part of coalition politics, Mr Dasgupta said ''it has become the part of the Congress' politics but no other parties were practising it.'' Terming the UPA Government as a ''colossal failure,'' Mr Dasgupta alleged that the government did not take any measures to curb the price rise and inflation, which was at a 13-year high of 12.01 per cent.

Stating that the price rise was due to aggressive privatisation and ''irresponsible'' globalisation policies taken up by the Centre, he alleged that the public distribution system had totally failed and though the Centre claimed that the production of food grains had increased, only their prices were increased.'' Mr Dasgupta further said the Essential Commodities Act, diluted by the BJP-led NDA Government, should be strengthened so that stringent action could be taken against hoarders and speculators.

He said national trade unions had called for a nation-wide strike on August 20 to protest against the UPA Government's economic policies.

UNI