Kolkata: The CPI-M on Thursday criticised its
allies RJD and SP for walking out of voting on cut motions and
raised questions on whether the Centre had misused CBI to
secure votes of 21 BSP MPs and Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu
Soren in favour of the government.
The last-moment stand of the SP and RJD to stay away from
voting notwithstanding their participation in the nationwide
strike on April 27 was unfortunate for the Opposition
alliance, an editorial of CPI-M mouthpiece `Ganashakti` said.
"Though the SP and RJD did not take part in the voting,
their walkout is seen by many as indirectly helping the
Congress-led government. The BSP had also supported the
Opposition on price rise. But before the cut motions were
taken up, they had declared they would vote for the
government," it noted.
The hard-hitting editorial said the true character of the
Congress-led UPA government had been exposed by Opposition-
sponsored cut motions which was intended to pressure the
government into bringing down prices of essential commodities.
"But it was clear from Congress` role that it was not
bothered by price rise as the only goal of the Congress and
its allies was how to save the government and keep ministerial
positions intact."
"Faced with the cut motions, Congress became desperate to
mop up numbers and ensured the presence of BJP ally Jharkhand
Chief Minister Shibu Soren and got his support. It is nothing
new for the Congress to secure such votes by using CBI," the
editorial said.
Referring to BSP`s decision to support the government on
the cut motion, Ganashakti noted that questions were being
raised over whether the CBI had been used for the purpose.
"Congress can compromise on any question to save the
government. In fact, it had given such examples several times
in post-independent India."
Though Trinamool Congress provides support to Maoists,
Congress took it in the UPA coalition and in exchange for that
Trinamool Congress despite claiming to speak on behalf of the
common man (over price rise) issued a whip to its MPs to vote
against the cut motion, it claimed.
"The cut motion voting result makes it clear that
Congress and its allies are not interested to check price
rise, but only to cling to power by adopting any strategy,"
the editorial added.
PTI
