Nepal Maoists have set example for Maoists here: Yechury

“The Maoists in Nepal have given up arms and participated in the elections, while their counterparts here are killing innocent people. If good sense prevails on them and people in general accept them in India, the Leftists will welcome it,” he said.

Asked if the CPI(M) had veered from its stand on the nuclear deal with the US, Yechury said: “Far from it. We have put certain conditions and unless they are fulfilled, there is no question of changing our position.” He said there would be no impact whatsoever of their differences with the UPA government on the nuclear deal in the next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

“We are supporting the Congress-led UPA only to counter the communal forces led by the BJP. But we are trying to find a third alternative.”

Meanwhile, Yechury said in Kolkata that Left MPs will march to Parliament on Tuesday in protest against rising prices with the CPI(M) warning that soaring inflation is like a “large albatross” on the UPA government’s neck that will spell trouble for the coalition during the ensuing elections.

“Price rise is the most crucial issue and it will be like a large albatross sitting on the UPA government’s neck in the coming election and as a supporting party we are telling them that they will be in trouble,” Yechury said in a programme on “inflation and its impact on the economy” here.

“Let the police arrest us during the march,” he said, adding the march to Parliament was not the normal way for MPs to agitate but “we have no other option.”

Yechury said the Left parties and the constituents of UNPA would hold agitation throughout the country from April 16 to 23 on the price rise issue. The entire trajectory of the eight per cent plus economic growth would collapse unless the Government reined in inflation and controlled prices which made the life of common people miserable, Yechury said.