Friday, May 27 2005 11:28 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bhubaneswar: Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) General Secretary Prakash Karat yesterday (May 26, 2005) strongly condemned the "trishul dikshya" programme organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal saying such actions of the "communal forces" should be opposed.

"The communal forces are the most dangerous as they want to divide the society and they must be kept on a lease," he said while addressing a function organised to mark the inauguration of the CPM's State office building in Bhubaneshwar.

The saffron outfits had conducted the "trishul dikshya" programme at Nimapara town in Puri district on May 22, 2005 where steel tridents were distributed to about 500 people.

Karat also expressed concern over the "deteriorating" law and order situation in Orissa as murders and dacoity were occurring in broad daylight.

Later asked by newsmen to comment on the praise of the CPM by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in a recent edition of the "Panchajanya", Karat said it was intended to "engineer a rupture between left and other parties".

"But that's not going to happen," he said.

Replying to questions on the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh giving his United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government 6/10 marks, the CPM leader said his party had made an evaluation of the Government and submitted a three-page report a week before it completed its first year in office.

"Our assessment was based on the implementation of the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) on the basis of which the CPM was extending its support to the UPA Government," he said.

"But in one year we have not come to any conclusion," he said.