No mandate, so ditch reforms agenda: CPM

Ahead of Thursday’s national bandh called by it along with seven other non-Congress and non-BJP parties, the CPM on Wednesday said the UPA government did not have the mandate to go ahead with its economic reforms agenda, HT reports.

Ahead of Thursday’s national bandh called by it along with seven other non-Congress and non-BJP parties, the CPM on Wednesday said the UPA government did not have the mandate to go ahead with its economic reforms agenda.

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“With the stand taken by the allies of Congress, it’s clear that a majority of the members of Parliament are against these policies. The Congress-led UPA government does not have the mandate to go ahead with these policies,” CPM general secretary Prakash Karat said.

“Unless the government rolls back these anti-people measures, it has no right to continue in office,” Karat said.

Asked for his response on West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s comments on terming the Left’s strike call as “an eyewash”, Karata said his party had been the “most consistent” on FDI for last six years.

“The UPA-I government did not proceed between 2005 and 2009 when we were supporting it from outside. Even today, I can say categorically that in West Bengal and Kerala, the parties opposed to us — Trinamool Congress and Congress — also cannot take a stand favouring FDI in retail,” he said.

Karat’s assertion notwithstanding, the four-party Left Front led by the CPM has actually been taken by surprise due to the tough stand taken by Banerjee and Kerala CM Oommen Chandy.

When asked if the Left was planning to move a no-confidence motion against the government, he evaded the question.