Govt defensive on terrorism, price rise: Left

New Delhi, Oct 11 (UNI) Ahead of the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls, the Left parties today maintained that the UPA government is on the ''defensive'' on terrorism, price rise and recession, and asserted that it will have to explain its conduct to the voters and pay a heavy price for its ''inefficiency'' and lack of will.

They deplored that the government's inaction during its four-and-a-half-year rule had simply helped the extremists and communal forces. At present, they said, as many as 12 states are in the grip of communal violence.

Talking to UNI they said the government would be under pressure at the National Integration Council(NIC) meet here on Monday for its failure on the intelligence front, mainly responsible for the growing terrorism and attacks on minorities.

Meanwhile, the Central Committee meeting of the CPM will start its three-day deliberations in Kolkata tomorrow to discuss the entire gamut of political, economic and foreign policy issues and the electoral strategy for the Assembly polls in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Jammu&Kashmir, and Mizoram, and Lok Sabha polls later.

CPM senior leaders, Basudev Acharya and Rupchand Pal said,''The Manmohan Singh government was on the defensive because it had failed not only to contain terrorism but also in checking the prices of essential commodities.'' On the recession, they contested the government's claim that the world economic crisis would not have that much impact on the nation's economy on the plea that not only the financial system had been affected but also the 'aam aadmi' and the middle class.

''This is why the Reserve Bank of India had to intervene,'' they said.

On terrorism, they said the government did not pay any heed to strengthen the intelligence agencies.

CPI leaders, S Sudhakar Reddy and Shamim Faizi, said,''The monster of terrorism has engulfed as may as 12 states, mainly Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Assam among others. Reports from everywhere say the local administration and police have failed to take the desired action against the perpetrators of violence.'' The CPI leaders said the government will be under pressure at the NIC meet for a judicial probe into the Jamia Nagar encounter and deployment of Army in Orissa.

Forward Block national secretary D Devrajan said the recession has busted all the claims of the government about the economy leaping towards two digit. '' It has proved that speculative market growth is not the real growth.'' On curbing atrocities against the minorities, Mr Devrajan said, ''It looks that the government is not that serious and rather adopting a soft approach. The issue cannot be thrashed out at the NIC meet. Instead, it should convene an all-party meet. Reports have already started pouring in that the NIC meet is going to be a tame affair only.'' UNI KSA RC RK1425