Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member and MP Sitaram Yechury said here on Saturday that the rules being framed by the government for the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill 2010 were against the interests of the people.
Talking to journalists, Mr. Yechury said limiting the liability of the supplier to five years would be against the interests of the people. “This and other rules are being framed due to the pressure exerted by the United States.” The CPI (M) has been opposing economic reforms and would continue to do so in the winter session of Parliament, Mr. Yechury said.
“Allowing 26 per cent of our pension fund, amounting to $18 billion, to be invested in foreign agencies would only be a fresh capital infusion for the foreign agencies facing severe crisis. But our employees' life-long savings will vanish.”
Investment by foreign airlines in the Indian aviation sector should not be allowed as they would totally dominate the domestic business. Recalling that the proposal was being opposed for the last 16 years, he said just because Kingfisher Airlines was in crisis foreign capital should not be allowed.
Inquiries against politicians
Asked about the CBI inquiries against several political leaders, Mr. Yechury said exemplary punishment must be meted out to those found involved in the scams. He cited the example of the cash-for-votes scam in which all the accused were granted bail despite Parliament and the entire country knowing who committed the crime.
The CBI was also being misused, he said. On controlling corruption, he reiterated his party's stand that corporate funding to the political parties must be banned.
Trinamool-Maoist links
Referring to the surrender of Maoists in the Writers' Buildings in Kolkata, he said it only exposed the links between the Trinamool Congress and the Maoists. The Trinamool had provided an opportunity to the Maoists to establish themselves in the State and 200 CPI (M) workers and supporters had been killed since the Assembly elections. He also alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Benerjee was in the process of rolling back land reforms and the Panchayati Raj system.
