New Delhi: Condemning the daily price hike of diesel and petrol and monumental price hike of cooking gas, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) called upon All India Protests against the Modi Government. With the decision to elevate and expand the protests at local levels, the party's central committee has directed its state units to mobilise people in villages and Taluks and organise protests according to the local conditions as the Covid-19 pandemic is not over yet.
After the Central Committee meeting of CPIM was held in New Delhi for 3 days, Sitaram Yechuri, the General Secretary of the party addressed the media on Monday to brief on the discussions and decisions taken during the three days meet. The party is demanding that the central excise duty on fuel should immediately be withdrawn in order to give relief to people.
"It is a criminal rise in prices of petrol and diesel for the fifth day in succession. The hike in fuel and cooking gas prices has triggered an overall inflationary spiral in the economy. Rising transportation costs are leading to the rise in prices of all essential items" said Sitaram Yechuri.
The CPIM leader also slammed the ministers of the Modi Government for justifying the rise in fuel prices claiming that the amount collected through central excise was being used to buy vaccines and fight the COVID19 outbreak in the country.
"These claims are preposterous that the money is being used to buy free vaccines and other welfare schemes of the central government. If people are paying more money for diesel and petrol and that money is being used for vaccines, how is the vaccination free in this country?" asked Yechuri.
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He further said that when the government already allocated 35000 crores for vaccination and the budget has already accounted for nearly 4 Lakh crores for various centrally-sponsored schemes and subsidies the government should answer where all the money went.
CPIM Central Committee has also decided to support the Central Trade Unions' call for protest against the privatisation of PSUs. The farmers' agitation against the three farm laws will complete one year on the 26th of November. Left Parties, central trade unions and all the left affiliate farmer unions are planning a series of protests on completion of one year of Farmers Protest.
The CPIM has directed all their units and affiliate organisations to join with the Samyukt Kisan Morcha in all their calls. Commenting on the latest acquisition of Indian Airlines by the TATA group, Yechuri said that the Airlines has virtually been gifted for free to the TATAs.
"Tatas are paying just 2700 crores for the entire fleet of planes and other facilities. The debt which they have to pay will, of course, be restructured by the banks" he said. Criticising the latest bid of the government named National Monetization Pipeline, the CPIM General Secretary said that Modi Government was selling all the national assets created over the last 70 years.
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