Communist Party of India (CPI) State secretary K. Ramakrishna on Sunday exhorted the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to extend support to the ‘Bharat Bandh’ called by the farmers’ organisations on September 27 in protest against the ‘anti-people’s policies’ of the BJP-led Central government.
Leading a ‘Jan Andolan’ padayatra from the Kurnool road bypass centre to the Church centre by the CPI activists and frontal farmers’ and labourers’ organisations such as AIKS and AITUC, Mr. Ramakrishna said that the Centre was selling away the public sector enterprises (PSEs) including the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), which was against ‘national interest’.
“Privatisation of PSEs will only benefit a select few corporate firms. A firm having base in Gujarat is now ruling the roost on the east coast, annexing one port after another, the latest being the Gangavaram port,” he said as the protesters shouted slogans ‘Visakha Ukku Andhralu Hakku’.
“The YSRCP and the TDP should gauge the growing dissatisfaction against the suicidal economic policies of the BJP-led Centre and join hands with non-BJP parties which have come together against such moves. Else, they will incur the wrath of the farmers and other sections of people including workers who have made it a common cause,” said Mr. Ramakrishna.
Referring to recurring increase of fuel prices, Mr. Ramakrishna said the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG cylinders, which were hovering around ₹60, ₹50 and ₹440 respectively when the BJP assumed the office, had now shot up to ₹112, ₹99 and ₹960, adding more burden to the commoners.
“It is not correct to keep petrol and diesel out of the purview of Goods and Services Tax (GST). Both the Union and State governments must make efforts to bring down the high rate of taxes on fuel,” he said.
There was no meaning to the BJP’s poll promise to create 2 crore jobs per year as 34% of micro, medium and small enterprises had downed the shutters, throwing out 2.50 lakh workers out of job amid the coromnavirus pandemic, he added.
