CPI-M considering third alternative: Yechury

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) is considering a third alternative, which essentially would have two fundamental issues -- opposition to communalism and opposition to anti-people economic policy.

By Pinaki Das

Agartala, Jan 7 : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) is considering a third alternative, which essentially would have two fundamental issues -- opposition to communalism and opposition to anti-people economic policy.

CPI-M politburo member Sitaram Yechury said that CPM has been supporting the Congress-led government at the Centre to keep communal forces away from coming to power, but now his party is also considering a third alternative.

"However, only those parties shall be in that third alternative which essentially should have two fundamental issues like opposition to communalism and opposition to anti-people economic policy," Yechury said at a rally here.

The CPI-M leader came down heavily on the Congress-led UPA government for not making enough efforts to implement major pro-people policies mentioned in the Common Minimum Programme (CMP).

The CMP has been implemented successfully in some area, like the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the Tribal Forest Rights Bill and halt on the privatisation of the private sectors, Yechury said.

"The UPA government is yet to fulfil the promises in the CMP on several crucial issues and we will continue to put pressure on it on these counts," he added.

Yechury further said that his party understands that India needs to create power to overcome the power deficit for maintaining its pace of development, but said that nuclear power was not the best option.

"Nuclear power is not cost effective and India has several other options by which it can produce power and the production cost shall be several times less than nuclear power," he said.

On the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, he made it clear that the deal will not be implemented, even though the government is holding consultations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

He said the government should not sign any agreement before discussing the matter with the Left parties.

ANI