New Delhi: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has announced a nationwide campaign and protests in the month of August against Central government policies and issues like inflation, price rise, GST hike, and unemployment.
After the conclusion of CPI(M)’s 23rd party congress on Sunday, Sitaram Yechuri, General Secretary of the party lashed out at Modi Government while addressing the media and said that while the common man is suffering due to massive price rise and increasing unemployment, the government was not doing enough to bring relief for them.
“The unprecedented price rise, with both the WPI and the CPI at a record high, is destroying people's livelihood, reducing their purchasing capacity, leading to further lowering the levels of demand in the economy. The shrinkage of domestic demand is pushing down manufacturing activity leading to further slowing down of the economy and job losses.
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Food and fuel prices continue to lead the inflation with the rise in prices of all essential commodities. The latest round of GST hikes, coming on top of this, further
increase the prices of all essential commodities. The Central Committee of the CPI(M) demands the rollback of GST hikes and the cess, surcharges on petroleum products," Yechuri said. The central government, he said, "instead of burdening the people, must tax the super rice to raise avenues".
Highlighting the issue of rising unemployment, Yechuri said that there is a 42 percent unemployment rate among the 20-24 year age group. "Additionally, 61.2 percent of our 90 crores working-age population (2020) has simply stopped looking for jobs. The labour participation rate is at a record low - 38.8 percent. Women being the worst hit," he said.
"Modi government recently admitted in parliament to having provided 0.33% of applicants with government jobs. There are over ten lakh vacancies in the government sector. The CPIM has demanded to immediately fill up these vacancies and also to increase allocation under MGNREGS," he said. The CPIM General Secretary alleged that the central agencies like ED and CBI were "functioning as a political arm of the Modi government in destabilising the democratically elected state governments and targeting opposition leaders."
"The recent judgment of the Supreme Court bench headed by a judge who retired shortly thereafter upheld all the 2019 amendments to the PMLA lethally arming the ED further. This is a grievous assault on democracy,” he added.
