Communist Party of India leader Gurudas Dasgupta, MP, on Saturday favoured unity of all democratic forces that would fight against what he described as “destructive” economic policies of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government and envisaged “alternative national agenda” in its place.
However, clarifying that the Third Front by itself was not a solution, he said though the Left was a force to reckon with, it could not do anything alone. Unity of all democratic forces, which would protect the country from economic disaster, because of the destructive economic policies of successive governments in the past 14 years, was the need of hour, he added.
“At the same time, the alliance should ensure that divisive and fundamentalist forces would not gain ground,” he cautioned.
Addressing presspersons here, Mr. Dasgupta lambasted both the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party for their economic policies.
“While the Congress is promoting computer-based understanding of western philosophy, the BJP is pursuing a chauvinistic philosophy,” he said.
Criticising the Centre for increasing natural gas price, he observed that the hike had been effected without any scientific study of cost of production per unit, actual revenue, and profit.
“The hike is just to help a particular corporate entity, which is generous in making investments during elections,” he said.
Accusing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of favouring big corporates at the cost of national interest, he criticised Dr. Singh for allowing Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways to buy 24 per cent stake in the domestic carrier Jet Airways. “The move has caused huge loss to a national carrier and hurt the country’s interests,” Mr. Dasgupta said. Blaming the Dr. Singh, P. Chidambaram and Montek Singh Ahluwalia for the plight of the common man in the country, he charged that the three were ruining the country by pursuing anti-people, anti-peasant, and anti-labour policies.
