The Hindu : Front Page : Manmohan: avoid scaremongering

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 26, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

Manmohan: avoid scaremongering

Vinay Kumar

It’ll only encourage hoarders, he tells parties

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday urged all parties “to eschew the temptation of politicising the misery of the people” and warned them against creating an environment of scarcity which, he said, would only encourage speculators and hoarders.

Dr. Singh said the government was taking all steps to deal with price rise and there was no need for “political parties to indulge in scaremongering.”

His remarks were contained in a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office after a Left delegation led by Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat called on him.

The team, comprising members of the CPI(M), the CPI, the Revolutionary Socialist Party and the Forward Bloc, suggested six measures to curb price rise. The meeting came on a day the Lok Sabha began a discussion on the Finance Bill. It will be taken up for passage next week.

Asked whether the Left demands would have an impact on its passage, Mr. Karat told reporters: “There are one or two demands which are linked to the Finance Bill. Others are broader issues.”

At a separate press conference, CPI leader A.B. Bardhan, who was also part of the delegation, said: “The government should know that it has to rely on us to get the Bill passed.”

“Unfortunate”

The PMO statement drew sharp reaction from the Left leaders, who said the government could not remain “callous” to people’s hardships. Describing it as “unfortunate,” they asserted that it was the duty of the political parties to raise people’s issues.

The Prime Minister told the delegation that the government would “closely monitor the situation and take steps to strengthen the Public Distribution System and food procurement system.” He pointed out that even if a person purchased half-kg rice extra, the sheer volume would create a scarcity.

Global trend

Dr. Singh said despite “an extremely difficult global situation, with global food, commodity and oil prices rising, the government has been able to ensure that the Indian people are among the least impacted in the developing world. Many other countries have even higher rates of inflation.”

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News Update

Stories in this Section