On Pension Bill, CPM, CPI fail to reach consensus

A common approach still eludes the Left parties on the Pension Fund and Regulatory Development Authority Bill. While the CPI has rejected th...

A common approach still eludes the Left parties on the Pension Fund and Regulatory Development Authority Bill. While the CPI has rejected the Bill outright, the CPI(M) is saying that it would submit its suggestions to the government. The government had sent a note to the Left parties on the Bill asking for suggestions.

CPI’s leader Gurudas Dasgupta said: ‘‘There is no question of negotiation on the PFRDA Bill. We are opposed to it tooth and nail.’’ He clarified he could not say what the CPI(M)’s position would be.

Meanwhile, the CPI(M)’s Nilotpal Basu said since the government had given a proposal, it would be studied and alternative proposals would be given. Asked if this meant the CPI(M) had accepted the government’s proposals, as outlined in the background note and circulated among Left parties at the UPA-Left Coordination meeting on November 21, he said: ‘‘It is not that we have to accept the government’s proposals. It is for the government to accept our proposals.”

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The Left leaders, who were briefing the Press after the UPA-Left floor coordination meeting on Wednesday, also did not field questions on the Bihar elections, having contested the polls separately.

But after the briefing Dasgupta, on the continuance in office of Bihar governor Buta Singh, said: ‘‘The governor should not take steps that are unconstitutional.’’

Both leaders made the statement separately, after the media briefing to give details on the UPA-Left floor coordination meeting where they said that as an ‘‘independent political party’’ they would oppose the government on key issues, including the move to reduce provident fund rates and the Indo-US joint military exercises.

Dasgupta said: ‘‘We will take up the anti-people economic policies that seem to be dominating the policies of the present government.’’

Prashant Kishor: ‘Democracy not weak… Those saying people will lose vote rights are fools’

Political Pulse18 min ago

Political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor launched his Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) after three years touring Bihar. The coming Assembly polls will be the first test of his goal to emerge as the third alternative in Bihar politics. Kishor speaks to The Indian Express about his party’s campaign, and the issues being raised by his rivals.

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