Communist Party of India (CPI) leader A.B. Bardhan has said the United Democratic Front (UDF) government in Kerala will be forced to step down from power in the wake of the popular movement raging across the State on the solar scam issue.
Delivering the inaugural address at the 41st State conference of the All India Students Federation (AISF) here on Sunday, he said the government could not ignore the voice of the people any longer. “Kerala is in turmoil. There is a tremendous struggle demanding the resignation of the government on grounds of corruption. Thousands are staging Satyagraha every day. Yet the government is sticking on to power like a limpet,” he said.
Mr. Bardhan said there was tremendous corruption at the Centre and in different States. “The Bofors corruption involving an amount of Rs.64 crore, was a pittance compared to several thousands and lakhs of crores in recent scams. We cannot tolerate such corrupt governments that misuse people’s aspirations to satisfy greed,” he said.
Mr. Bardhan said India today needed a political alternative to the Congress and the BJP, based on credible policies and programmes to address people’s issues such as unemployment and price rise. “The Congress today is dominated by corporate houses and big business. It is responsible for corruption and high prices that have made even food unaffordable for the masses,” he said.
He said the BJP, the party waiting in the wings, also believed in the same neoliberal policies that the Congress pursued and was willing to join hands with American imperialist forces. “The BJP, however, has a communal agenda too.” CPI leaders Veliyam Bhargavan, C. Divakaran, MLA, Kanam Rajendran, K. Prakash Babu, K.R. Chandramohanan, Benoy Viswom, M.P. Achuthan, MP, and AISF president N. Arun addressed the gathering.
