Madurai: Criticising Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh's remarks on having to tolerate a great deal in
coalition politics, CPI Friday said the UPA government was
"drifting" and had no control over inflation and corruption.
"The Prime Minister's interview to TV (editors) yesterday
has only confirmed that the Government is drifting and has no
control over inflation and corruption. If he thinks a
coalition partner is responsible for the 2G spectrum scam, why
is Congress again having an alliance with DMK," CPI national
secretary D Raja told reporters here.
Pointing to reports that 2G spectrum allocation had
helped big corporate houses earn billions of rupees which
otherwise should have gone to the government treasury, he said
people would not agree with the view that the allocation had
reduced the cost of mobile calls.
He wondered what explanation the Prime Minister would
give for handing over S-Band Spectrum to Devas Multimedia by
ISRO, which is under his direct control.
"Annulling of the deal is not the answer to the wrong
already done," he said.
Raja said though a resolution was passed in Parliament to
control inflation, no steps have been taken by the government
to rein it in.
Describing the Congress-DMK alliance as a "sinking ship",
he said it was ironical that PMK had joined this alliance,
given that its leader Dr S Ramadoss had once criticised DMK
'for doing nothing but opening state-controlled liquor shops.'
The CPI leader said it was high time that the Indian
Government reviewed the 1974 Katchativu agreement with Sri
Lanka, when the island ceded to that country, to get it back
and ensure that Indian fishermen are able to earn their
livelihood in a safe environment.
If necessary, the issue of attacks on fishermen by the
Lankan Navy should be taken up with International forums as
Sri Lanka had signed many conventions, Raja said.
He alleged that neither the Centre nor the Tamil Nadu
government seemed to be worried about the condition of Tamils
in the island nation and no steps had been taken by the Union
government to ensure their proper rehabilitation or providing
them power under a federal set up.
Raja expressed confidence that the Election Commission
would take effective steps to stop the alleged distribution of
money to voters in Tamil Nadu in the run up to the Assembly
polls due in May.
The CPI leader was also confident that the ongoing seat
sharing talks with AIADMK would be completed smoothly.
PTI
First Published: Friday, February 18, 2011, 22:11