`Alternative policies of CPI(M) to be announced on Mar 19`

CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat said the "alternative policies" of the party would be announced on March 19.

Nagercoil: CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat on Sunday said the "alternative policies" of the party would be announced on March 19 at the culmination of a nationwide rally at Delhi against the policies of the Centre. He claimed that only the Left parties could incorporate alternative policies in India as both Congress and BJP are following the same economic policies and "are stuck with corruption". "Both Congress and BJP have the same economic policies and also both parties are stuck with corruption. Hence only left wing parties can incorporate alternate policies in our country," he said. Speaking at the launch of Kanyakumari leg of the rally against `neo-liberal` policies of the Centre, Karat said the Left parties were conducting a signature campaign to create awareness on pitfalls of the proposed Food Safety Act and it would be handed over to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on February 26.

He demanded a CBI inquiry into the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP Agusta Westland chopper deal, monitored by the Supreme Court, as only this would reveal the truth. Earlier, he inaugurated the rally towards Delhi from here. On February 22, the party had announced holding of long marches criss-crossing the country to project "alternative policies". The marches from Kanyakumari, Kolkata, Mumbai and Amritsar, to be joined by smaller ones from Guwahati, Shimla, Bhavnagar (Gujarat) and Paralakhemundi (Odisha), would culminate in Delhi on March 19 after covering about 10,000 km. Issues to be highlighted in the three-week-long campaign, to be led by all top CPI(M) leaders in various states, would include the right to land and housing, right to food, curbing price rise, universal public distribution system, right to education, health and employment, ensuring social justice, women`s rights and ending corruption. PTI