Thaindian News

New Delhi, Oct 28 (IANS) The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Friday condemned the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) for rising food inflation and said the government was following policies which were bound to cause price rise.

In a statement, the CPI-M politburo said the UPA’s food-related policies had affected a vast majority of Indians.

The party said the government wants to utilize the price increase to bring in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and corporates in retail on the false argument that this will lead to an efficient market.

The party also blamed UPA allies for the price rise, saying they were “equally responsible and willing partners in this assault on the lives of the aam aadmi (common man)”.

Calling upon its units to step up pressure against the government, the CPI-M politburo said the “callous approach” of the government was responsible for food inflation crossing 11 percent.

“Today, even vegetables, the cost of which are up by 25 percent, are a luxury under the regime of the Congress-led government. Pulses, oil, sugar, milk are all costlier,” the party said.

“Worse are the bankrupt arguments from official quarters justifying the price rise as being a de-seasonal effect when, as is well known, the prices have less to do with seasonal factors than with the increase in fuel prices,” it added.

The CPI-M said the fuel price index was over 14 percent higher compared to the same period last year due to deregulation and eight-time hike in fuel prices.

The party said the government has refused to ban speculative trade in agricultural commodities and continues to promote “targeting policies” which weaken the public distribution system.

“Under UPA-2, both the consumer and the producer are suffering,” the party said.

Food inflation shot up to 11.43 percent for the week ended Oct 15, the sharpest increase in six months.