4 Left parties launch demonstration against Akali-BJP govt in Punjab

Chandigarh, Nov 13: Four left parties-CPI, CPI(M), CPM Punjab and CPI (ML) Liberation on Wednesday launched a demonstration against the Akali –BJP government in Punjab and demanded realisation of the demands of workers, peasants and the unemployed.

The parties staged demonstrations at all district headquarters in Punjab, the leaders of the four parties said in a joint statement here on Wednesday.

"The activists of the party had also conducted marchs in all the 22 districts of the state and found that almost all the sections of the society are fed up with the Punjab government and its hollow promises made during the election", they said.

The Left parties are also holding a state level "Chetawani Rally" (Warning rally) in Ludhiana on November 28. More than 50,000 people are expected to participate in the rally, they said adding that it would be a strong warning to the state government for conceding the demands or to face a militant mass movement in the near future.

"This rally will also lodge mass protest against the intensified implementation of anti-people neo-liberal agenda of the Narendra Modi Government at the Centre," they said.

The statement was jointly issued by Bant Brar, Punjab Secretary CPI, Charan Singh Virdi, Punjab Secretary CPI(M), Mangat Ram Pasla, Secretary CPM Punjab, Gurmeet Singh Bakhatpura, Punjab Secretary CPI(ML) Libration.

Left parties: Govt is also attacking democratic norms and forms

"The Centre is hell-bent upon further privatisation of public sector diluting the MNREGA, abolishing the meagre subsidies for the downtrodden and crises ridden peasantry, opening more and more sectors for the exploitation of FDI, dismantling the labour laws at the behest of foreign and domestic corporate houses and introducing most reactionary and communal content in education curricula," they said.

"This govt is also attacking democratic norms and forms so as to move towards a RSS dictated administration and to harm secular political system," they added.

Central leaders, including Parkash Karat, General Secretary CPI(M), Dipankar Bhattacharya, General Secretary CPI (ML) liberation and veteran leader of CPI A B Bardhan will address the Ludhiana rally, the statement said.

The left parties have been without any representation in the state assemblies of Punjab and neighbour Haryana failing to win any seat for over a decade.

PTI