NEW DELHI: In what seems to be early signs of a Third Front, leaders of four Left parties together on Tuesday with four other parties to vocally protest — and court arrest — against the petrol/diesel price hike and general price rise.
CPM general secretary Prakash Karat even said there was no point talking to PM Manmohan Singh on price rise. “We will not talk to PM. We will go to people,” he said.
Tuesday’s event is the second after President Bush’s visit when the Left, ideologically opposed to Congress, took to the streets. While Samajwadi Party has almost become a constant Left companion, the latest protest saw Ajit Singh’s RLD, AGP, TDP and JD(S) lend support.
The Left has already inked an agreement with TDP in Andhra Pradesh for local bodies elections, making it amply clear that unlike earlier third front experiments, this time the Red brigade would play the role of the charioteer.
Meanwhile, the Left has also finalised the note on two years of UPA government ahead of the coordination committee meeting on June 15. The note is a reiteration of what Left has been articulating on a host of issues — FDI in retail, insurance, airport modernisation, amendment in the banking regulation Act, disinvestment, unorganised sector, price rise, petroleum pricing, foreign policy, women’s reservation, tribal Bill, Public Distribution System, and farmers’ suicides.
Left leaders said they would wait for government’s response on the note. It is also believed that after two years of unstructured coordination committee meetings, Left wants them to be more focused.
Addressing nearly 2,000 workers of various parties at Jantar Mantar, Karat said Left-ruled states would cut sales tax on petrol/diesel only is the Centre was willing to cut its share of tax and duties.
He said 57% of the petroleum price comprises tax and excise duty while 36% of diesel price is tax and excise imposed by the Centre. In such a scenario, he said, if states cut sales tax it would bring down the price by few paise.
“In Delhi, Rs 23 per litre of petrol is tax out of which Rs15.60 is the Centre’s component and Rs7 is the state’s. Therefore, we demand that tax structure be changed. Government cannot keep making money every time the international crude price goes up,” he said.—By arrangement with The Times of India
