Strong Warning to Congress Government against Price Rise

As per the initial calculation around 15 lakh CPI(M) workers in Kerala on Wednesday laid siege to the government secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram and 13 district collectorates across the state against the Centre's 'failure' to check price rise and ensure food security. The state government machinary came to a grinding halt due the dharna. As  the volunteers and protestors were gathered on the spot from early morning 6 am itself, it was very difficult for the employees to reach the office. Office work was being held up.Food Security Scheme has to be guaranteed, price hike has to be reduced, these were few of the demands put forth  by the protestors.

The workers squatted near all the four gates and the roads leading to the Secretariat, making it difficult for the office staff to enter the compound.

Addressing the protestors before the Secretariat, CPI(M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said the skyrocketing prices and corruption were the fallout of the liberalisation and globalisation policies vigorously pursued by the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre. Referring to the coal block allocation scam, he alleged that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was "prima facie guilty" in the matter. While the UPA government had been providing largess to corporates, it was cutting down subsidies on food items and fertilisers citing financial crunch, he said. He also criticised the Congress-led UDF government in Kerala for failing to effectively intervene in the market and strengthen the public distribution system.

In Kannur the dharna was inaugurated  by  CPIM PB Member Com. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Another P B Member Com. M A Baby inaugurated the dharna in front of Alappuzha district collectorae. In Kollam by opposition leader and CPIM CC Member Com. V S Achuthanandan inaugurated the meeting. CPIM Central Committee member Com. E P Jayarajan,Com. Paloly Mohammed Kuttya Com. A Vijayaraghavan and Com. Vaikom Viswan inaugurated the Dharna in Trissur, Malappuram, Palakkad and Kottayam respectively. CPIM State Secretariat Members Com. M V Govindan Master, Com. Elamaram Kareem, Com. A K Balan, Com. Baby John, Com. V V Dakshina Moorthi inaugurated the dharnas in Ernakulam, Idukki, Waynad, Pathanamthitta, Kozhikode. The protest held in front of the Kasargod DC office was inaugurated by MP and CPIM CC Member Com.P Karunakaran.