Left to begin movement against fuel price hike from August: CPI

The Left parties will begin a countrywide agitation from next month against the Centre's "arrogance" in not accepting a demand for rollback of the hike in fuel prices, CPI leader AB Bardhan said today.

"The Left parties have decided to carry forward their movement against the Centre which is arrogant and both blind and deaf to the people's suffering," the CPI general secretary told a press conference here.

Without referring to the BJP, he said that all Opposition parties had voiced their opposition to the sharp hike in fuel prices "but the Centre remains arrogant".

Asked to comment on BJP's participation in the July 5 'Bharat bandh', Bardhan said the Left parties had called it with secular and democratic forces. "If you (BJP) call the bandh on the same day, it is welcome because it will have a wider impact."

He also said his party demanded that poor people should be identified for whom food security by the Centre was earmarked. "Food security cannot be ensured by importing foodgrains."

To a question, he said that 'wrong campaign' against the Left Front government had caused damage to its reputation for land reforms. He also stressed that fertile land should not be acquired for industrial purposes.

Asked about the Left Front's prospects in next Assembly elections, he said "I'm not a fortune teller, but I can say that the Left parties are fighting."