Thaindian News

New Delhi, June 6 (IANS) Four days after it was routed in the municipal polls in West Bengal, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) said Sunday that it will take steps to regain people’s support in the state.
In a statement released after a two-day politburo meeting here, the party admitted that the Left had suffered losses in the May 30 elections to urban municipal bodies across the state.

“The West Bengal State Committee will conduct a review of the election on the basis of which necessary political and organisational steps can be taken to win back the confidence of those sections of the people who have moved away from the party,” it said.

The party alleged that the Trinamool Congress indulged in violence after the results of civic elections, and asked the central government to look into the role of its minister in inciting such violence.

The party said that five of its activists and supporters have been killed in the violence.

“So far, five activists and supporters of the CPI-M have been killed in Birbhum, Murshidabad and Bankura districts. There have been attacks on the houses of CPI-M supporters and other places too,” it said.

Without naming Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, the party said: “The central government should look into the role of its own cabinet minister in inciting such violence.”

The party demanded a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) to probe the affairs of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament.

Referring to the situation in Kerala, the party said that various communal and caste forces were being mobilised against the Left Democratic Front government.

“These forces are sought to be consolidated behind the Congress-led UDF (United Democratic Front),” the party said, adding that it will conduct a vigorous campaign against the interference of sectarian and communal forces in the political affairs of the state.

Referring to reports about the government considering a further increase in the prices of petrol, diesel and other petroleum products, the party said it was totally unwarranted and will impose a crushing burden on the people in view of the continuing increase in food prices and inflation.

The party accused the government of failing to check price rise and said that food inflation rate continued to remain extremely high at over 16.5 percent.

Opposing the approach of the government on the food security bill, the party said this would provide legal sanction to the exclusion of vast sections of the people from the PDS (public distribution system) based on the “flawed poverty estimates.”

“This will be even worse than the current situation where the States can move towards a universal PDS combining their own schemes with central allocations,” the party said.

The CPI-M demanded that the government should table the action taken report on the recommendations of the Ranganath Mishra Commission in the monsoon session of the parliament.

Condemning the derailment of the Gyaneshwari Express in West Midnapore district of West Bengal which resulted in the deaths of 148 passengers, the party sought strong action against the perpetrators.

“The sabotage of a passenger train indulged in by elements of the Maoist-PCAPA combine is a terrorist act directed against innocent people. This exposes the true face of the Maoists. Firm action should be taken against such elements to deter such violent attacks in the future,” the party said.

The politburo, which discussed the outline of a draft document for the extended meeting of the Central Committee to be held in August, will meet again July 3-4 to finalise the draft.

Strongly condemning the attack by Israeli armed forces on the flotilla of ships carrying humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza, the party regretted that “the government had not even condemned Israel by name for the attack”.