AGARTALA, Jan 20 � At a mammoth election rally, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat today slammed the Congress-led UPA Government for its alleged anti-poor policies.
Karat, while addressing a Left Front rally at Stable Ground here on Sunday blamed the UPA Government for withdrawing major subsidy oriented schemes to safeguard the interest of big industrial houses.
�The Central Government has been giving huge tax benefits to some industrial houses ignoring the interest of common people. In fact, it has been working against the common people�, he alleged.
Hitting hard on the UPA for double standard over the Food Security Bill, Karat said, �Earlier, the government had proposed to provide 35 kg rice at a price of Rs 2 per kg to BPL families. Now, it has come up with revised proposal � 25 kg rice at a price of Rs 3 per kg�, he pointed out.
Karat also blamed the UPA for sky rocketing price hike in the country. �The abrupt price hike is the result of Centre�s wrong economic policies and it will prove more fatal for the common people�, he said.
Karat also called upon people to vote for ruling Left Front to pave the way for forming seventh Left Front Government. �Today�s strong presence of party supporters shows the Left Front will secure more seats and votes in the 2013 Assembly elections�, he said.
Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, in his speech appealed the people to vote in favour of Left Front to ensure peace, prosperity and democratic values.
�The Left Front had to struggle to bring peace in the State. There was a time when development works could not be taken up due to militancy. With active support from the people, the government has been able to bring peace here. The peace, precondition of development, will be at stake if people vote for Congress-INPT alliance�, he said.
Poking at the Congress for calling Parivartan (regime change), Sarkar warned people against the move of the opposition parties. �Peace, prosperity and democratic values will vanish if the Congress-INPT alliance is voted to power�, he warned.
