Left parties to hold week-long nationwide agitation against Centre over economic slowdown

NEW DELHI: Left parties will hold a week-long, nationwide agitation against the Narendra Modi government over the current economic slowdown from Thursday.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) Secretary-General Sitaram Yechury had on Friday called upon all units of the party to mobilise large sections of society ahead of the countrywide protests by all left parties on the current situation of the Indian economy.

"The Economy is a mess, and our Central Committee calls upon all its units to mobilise the largest sections of the people in response to the call given by the Left parties for an all India protest between October 10 and 16 on our very specific demands," Yechury had tweeted.

The Economy is a mess, and our Central Committee calls upon all its units to mobilise the largest sections of the people in response to the call given by the Left parties for an all India protest between October 10 & 16 on our very specific demands. https://t.co/1v9oNThHI9 pic.twitter.com/sj6ZO2Toit — Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) October 4, 2019

The Left parties had last month announced a protest on October 10 and 16 to press for their demands which also include stopping privatisation of the public sector and raising the minimum monthly old age and widow pension to Rs 3,000.

In a press communique by the CPI (M), the party raised many demands including increased public expenditure to generate employment. It also demanded "increased public investment to generate employment. Until then, the central government must provide unemployment allowance to the youth," the press communique read.

In addition, the party appealed to the government to ensure a minimum wage of Rs. 21,000 per month.

The party also urged the government to stop privatization of public sector, withdraw 100 per cent FDI in defence and coal sectors and halt privatization of BSNL, Air India and ordnance factories.

(With ANI inputs)