'CPI (M) won't allow UPA govt to take anti-poor decision'

SHIMLA: The CPI(M) on Monday said it opposed the Indo-US nuclear deal to ensure the UPA government, which the Left supports from outside, does not take any decision against the interest of the country.
    
Despite providing crucial outside support to the UPA government, CPI (M) is playing the role as a partner of the government as well that of an effective opposition in the interest of the poor and labourers, CPI (M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said.
   
"We we will ensure that the government does not take any decision against the interest of the country," he told an election rally for party candidate Sanjay Chauhan here.
    
"CPI (M) can assure the countrymen that we will not allow the Congress-led government to take any decision which will harm the interest of the poor, workers, government employees and petty traders," he said.
   
This was the reason the CPI (M) has asked the central government not to sign the nuclear deal with the United States or allow foreign investment in education, he said.

Karat said his party would see that no decision which is against the country is taken by the UPA government till the end of its term in 2009 "and after that the party will have a different strategy".
  
Criticising the Centre's "pro-rich" economic policies, Karat flayed the reported decision to waive tax on properties of rich people.
    
The country today has about 500 multi millionaires, he said adding had government extracted handsome property tax from them many welfare schemes for farmers and workers could have been funded.