10-20-2006, 08:22 PM
<!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo--> <b>'Congress-Left a temporary arrangement' </b>
Agencies | Chandigarh
Criticising the Centre's policies, senior CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta today said the gap between the Left and UPA was widening and there was a possibility of mid-term elections.
"The gap of understanding and depth of differences between the Left and UPA Government is widening. There is a possibility of elections soon," he told a news conference here.
Dasgupta, who is All-India Trade Union Congress general secretary, termed the UPA a "temporary arrangement" and said the Left was trying to get more concessions from it.
He announced that AITUC activists would picket Parliament House on November 23 and hold a nationwide strike on December 14 to protest setting up of special economic zones (SEZs) and policies on labour and petro price hikes among other issues.
On the relations between the Congress and Left, which extends outside support to the UPA, he claimed "it is not we (Left parties) but they (Congress) who are losing face" and accused the UPA of one-sided policy decisions.
Dasgupta said the Left parties would not allow passage of a single "anti-people" bill and at least seven bills including financial sector reforms, banks merger, pension and Trade Union Act, were pending for want of clearance from the Left.
He also lashed out at the BJP, which he called "a sinking boat" and said the Left considered it a "severe threat" to the country. "The BJP plays politics of religion. For them temple is a priority and they want to divide the country on communal lines," he said.
Agencies | Chandigarh
Criticising the Centre's policies, senior CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta today said the gap between the Left and UPA was widening and there was a possibility of mid-term elections.
"The gap of understanding and depth of differences between the Left and UPA Government is widening. There is a possibility of elections soon," he told a news conference here.
Dasgupta, who is All-India Trade Union Congress general secretary, termed the UPA a "temporary arrangement" and said the Left was trying to get more concessions from it.
He announced that AITUC activists would picket Parliament House on November 23 and hold a nationwide strike on December 14 to protest setting up of special economic zones (SEZs) and policies on labour and petro price hikes among other issues.
On the relations between the Congress and Left, which extends outside support to the UPA, he claimed "it is not we (Left parties) but they (Congress) who are losing face" and accused the UPA of one-sided policy decisions.
Dasgupta said the Left parties would not allow passage of a single "anti-people" bill and at least seven bills including financial sector reforms, banks merger, pension and Trade Union Act, were pending for want of clearance from the Left.
He also lashed out at the BJP, which he called "a sinking boat" and said the Left considered it a "severe threat" to the country. "The BJP plays politics of religion. For them temple is a priority and they want to divide the country on communal lines," he said.