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UPA-Left discuss price rise |
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Price rise and implementation of recommendations of the Sachar Committee on the status of Muslims came up for discussion at the dinner hosted by the Prime Minister for the UPA constituents and supporting Left parties on March 21.
The police firing in Nandigram, which almost paralysed Parliament’s functioning for five days, did not come up in the dinner discussions. Observers say that the BJP’s attack against the Left on the Nandigram issue appears to have cemented the ruling coalition as all UPA leaders agreed that they must fight the BJP unitedly. The meeting came down heavily on the BJP for the manner in which it disrupted Parliament with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee pointing out that the main opposition party had adopted the strategy of preventing others from having their say.
Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and PDP patron Mufti Mohd. Sayeed, supported by others, made a strong pitch for the implementation of the Sachar Committee Report to improve the status of Muslims.
Dr. Manmohan Singh assured UPA constituents and Left leaders that he would hold detailed discussions with them on issues ranging from special economic zones (SEZs) to price rise and implementation of the Sachar Committee recommendations.
The Left leaders suggested that the Government could consider the proposal for a separate sub-plan for Muslims in the 11th Five Year Plan and also a quota for dalit Muslims.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad observed that the UPA would have to collectively take on the BJP, while some Union Ministers expressed dismay over the principal party in the opposition disrupting the proceedings of Parliament and not disallowing the Government an opportunity to make its statements during the first half of the Budget session that went into recess on Wednesday.
Dr. Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Union Ministers Pranab Mukherjee, Shivraj Patil, Arjun Singh, P. Chidambaram, Lalu Prasad, Sharad Pawar, Praful Patel, Dayanidhi Maran, Anbumani Ramadoss and Ram Vilas Paswan were present.
The Left leaders at the dinner included CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, Sitaram Yechury, AIFB general secretary Debabrata Biswas, RSP secretary Abani Roy and CPI national secretary D. Raja.
Resist US pressure : Left
The Left parties have taken strong exception to what they call the US opposition to the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline and have urged the government to proceed with the project as it is of vital interest for the country’s energy security. The CPI(M) politburo in a statement also urged the Manmohan Singh Government to resist what it called the pressure exerted by the United States for buying F-16 fighter planes.
“The report that the US Energy Secretary during his visit to Delhi has conveyed to the Indian Government the opposition of the United States to the proposed gas pipeline, is disturbing,” the politburo said.
The CPI, meanwhile, said the statement of US Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman, is nothing, “but outrageous interference in the affairs of India.”
Left opposition hits plan to increase FDI in insurance
The UPA leadership’s efforts to get the Left’s backing for hiking the quantum of FDI in insurance from 26% to 49% failed yet again on March 20 with the Left leaders making it clear that the government cannot count on their support. At a meeting with senior ministers, the Left leaders said there was no need for seeking more foreign funds for expanding insurance business. The continued resistance of the Left is bad news for the government because FDI cannot be raised without a Bill being passed by Parliament.
Indian corporates, the Left said at the meeting, have the wherewithal and they should be tapped before going to foreign firms. “India has the most billionaires in Asia with a total wealth of $191 billion. There may be Indians willing to invest in this sector. The government should talk to Indian corporates,” the Left leaders told their government interlocutors that included External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.
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