New Delhi: The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has squarely blamed the ruling Congress party for the current crisis over the nuclear deal that threatens to topple the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

“That the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) is today emboldened to nurture hopes of returning to power by leading a coalition is mainly due to the fact that the opportunities present for the UPA government to strengthen the secular democratic dispensation at the centre and to work for significant improvement in the people's livelihood were largely squandered,” says the editorial of party mouthpiece People's Democracy in its latest issue.

“It is, indeed, ironic that the UPA government, which, in the first place, was formed with the Left's outside support precisely to have a secular government at the centre is providing grist to the mill of the communal forces due to its faulty policies,” it stressed.

The Left parties have been at the receiving end of the Congress and its UPA allies for threatening to topple the Manmohan Singh government on the India-US nuclear deal and giving the BJP a leeway to come to power after the next general elections.

Congress spokesperson M. Veerappa Moily at a press conference Thursday charged the Left parties with “blackmailing the government and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.”

The CPI-M in its editorial accused the UPA government of reneging on its promises made in the Common Minimum Programme.

“Many a promise contained in the Common Minimum Programme remained on paper. Even those implemented, under pressure from the Left, suffer from bureaucratic hurdles and corruption. Thus, even the potential benefits that could have been delivered to the people are not being done,” said People's Democracy.

“It is high time that the UPA government scrupulously adhere to the Common Minimum Programme and work for its implementation in right earnest, instead of passionately pursuing issues like the Indo-US nuclear deal which do not figure in the CMP,” the party reminded the Congress.

“It needs to be remembered that the CPI-M and the Left extend outside support to this UPA government on the basis of this CMP. This support, therefore, cannot be taken for granted, if the CMP is violated,” it said.

The editorial also criticised the BJP for raking up communal tension over the Amaranth shrine board controversy.

“Clearly the RSS/BJP is bracing itself to unleash a fresh offensive of communal polarisation in the run-up to the forthcoming general elections, hoping that these would come earlier than schedule.

“The annual Amarnath yatra has, unfortunately for some years now, been the occasion for the communal forces to whip up passions by shouting provocative slogans during the yatra. This is completely contrary to traditions of religious harmony in Kashmir,” the editorial noted.

 

Source : IANS