Left asks Lalu, Paswan to show restraint

New Delhi, Nov 3: Anguished over bitter competitive politics regarding attacks on north Indians in Maharashtra, the Left parties on Monday, Nov 3 warned that such incidents will weaken national unity and asked the Central and state governments to join hands to control the burgeoning unemployment and economic divide.

The top CPI(M), CPI and Forward Bloc leaders said unfortunately, regional parties in North India, instead of attending to the economic deprivation of the people, are themselves using 'regional chauvinism' as a political tool. CPI leaders A B Bardhan and Shamim Faizi noted the uncalled threat of cancelling Maharashtra-bound trains, organising counter attacks on Mahrashtrians and threats of resignations from the Assembly and Lok Sabha seats will not solve the problem.

''It will further accentuate it and, indeed, help the divisive and obstructionist forces,'' said Mohd Salim, the CPI(M) Deputy leader in the Lok Sabha.

The Left leaders' strong reaction came against the backdrop of the JD(U) threat that its MPs will quit Parliament over the Central government's refusal to sack the Vialsrao Deshmukh government and RJD chief Lalu Prasad's calling for the resignations by his Party MPs, MLAs and councillors to mount pressure on the Maharashtra government to take action against the MNS and Shiv Sena.

Making the matter worse, NCP leader and Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel also backed the demand for ''redrawing the balance between insiders and outsiders in Maharashtra.'' Calling for restraint on the part of Mr Prasad and LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan, Mr Bardhan, the CPI General Secretary, opined that they should refrain from issuing such statments.

But, they made a strong case for immediate arrest and prosecution of MNS chief Raj Thackeray on the plea that no citizen could be deprived of his constitutional right to stay in any part of the country and earn livlihood, he underlined.

UNI