CPI (M) concerned over daily fuel price hikes, J&K situation

New Delhi, Oct 25: The Central Committee of CPI (M) has condemned the daily hikes in the prices of petrol and diesel.

In a statement issued to Ziraat Times today, CPI (M) said that this daily hike is accompanied by a “monstrous hike” in the price of cooking gas.

“This has triggered an overall inflationary spiral in the economy. Rising transportation costs are leading to the rise in prices of all essential items including food, vegetables, milk and other articles of daily consumption”, the statement added.

“Central Cabinet Ministers are making claims that the hikes in Central excise duties on petroleum products is financing free vaccinations and various social sector schemes being implemented by the Modi government. This is ridiculous. If people are paying exorbitant prices, then vaccinations are not free. People are paying for it themselves. What has happened to the budgetary allocation of Rs. 35,000 crores for vaccinations? The budget has already accounted for nearly Rs. 4 lakh crores for various Centrally-sponsored schemes and subsidies. Where has all this money gone?”, the party said.

The Central Committee has also extended its “complete solidarity and support for all calls for actions and protests by the SKM and the Central Trade Unions to mark the anniversary of this struggle on November 26. The CPI(M) calls upon all its units to extend active support to these protest actions.”

“Desperate exercise is going on for all-out privatization of all national assets/PSUs. The National Monetization Pipeline is tantamount to sale of India through transfer of vast infrastructural assets/machineries to private corporates, virtually free. The latest is the virtually free gift of Air India to Tatas. The government is already in the advanced stage of bringing amendment bills to Bank Nationalization Act to facilitate privatization of public sector banks”, the party further said.

On Jammu & Kashmir, the central committee said that “unless people’s participation with the restoration of the democratic political process is established, it would be difficult to combat this rising extremist violence. The Central Committee demands the immediate restoration of the state of Jammu & Kashmir, release of all political detenues, ending the curbs on media and stopping the indiscriminate arrests of people, particularly youth in J&K. The Central Committee urges the Supreme Court to begin the consideration of the petitions before it, including those by CPI(M), challenging the Constitutional validity of the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution”, the statement added.