Click to play videoNew Delhi: The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has slammed the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on their economic and foreign policies.
Releasing the party's election manifesto in New Delhi on Monday CPI-M General Secretary Prakash Karat claimed that the gap between the poor and the rich have widened under Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) rule.
"Manmohan Singh government adopted policies which were nakedly pro-rich. They refused to impose increased wealth tax or take steps to mop up black money. They were consciously working towards enriching the already rich," alleged Prakash Karat.
The manifesto highlighted record of UPA Government claiming there has been a failure to check price rise, people's rights and protection on the global economic crisis.
Karat also took a dig at Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee who had said that he didn't knew about the Third Front.
"Pranab Mukherjee says he doesn't know what this Third Front is. After the elections he will know what it is," he said.
"The Left has been responsible for two major legislations - NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee) and the Tribal Rights Act. The Left has ensured that the insurance sector and the banking sector were protected and we ensure that India was saved from the worst of the global crisis," said Karat.
The danger of communalism has also become starkly evident in the last five years, said the manifesto.
The manifesto made a pitch for minority votes, mooting a more comprehensive law to check communal violence and an Equal Opportunities Commission for Minorities.
"After Kandhamal, the government should have proscribed Bajrang Dal. In Maharashtra, the Srikrishna report has not yet been implemented," said Karat.
On foreign policy, the manifesto claimed that strategic alliance with the United States of America has been the biggest betrayal of the Manmohan Singh government.
Karat also blamed the UPA Government of being insensitive to the rights of the state saying there have been many violations of federalism.
The manifesto said that CPI-M would look for alternative policies. The party would promoting secularism by enacting a comprehensive law against communal violence, formulate alternate economic policies, increase annual plan expenditure to 10 per cent of GDP, halt for tax concession to the corporates, strengthen and expansion of public sector, reversing FDI guidelines, strengthening federalism and independent foreign policies.
The manifesto also promised the formation of a secular government after the Lok Sabha elections.
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