Country to witness wave of protests against UPA: Left

Opposing opening up of multibrand retail, broadcast and aviation sectors for foreign players, Left parties today vowed a "wave of protests" against the UPA government accusing it of having become a "burden on the people".

CPI(M), CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc came out with angry reactions on the Union Cabinet decision on allowing more FDI in the three sectors and disinvesting four PSUs, charging the UPA government was acting against the interest of common man.

Senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat said the UPA government "cannot give any job but is snatching jobs" by destroying the livelihood of people through "so-called reform" measures aimed at pleasing corporates."

"Their reform measures are only to suit the MNCs and it has nothing to do with India or its people. They only want to listen to the corporates. This government cannot create jobs, it cannot control prices.

"This government is a burden on the people. We are already working towards a organising a united movement against this government (after it announced a steep hike in diesel prices yesterday)," Karat told PTI.

CPI National Secretary D Raja said the country will witness a "wave of protests" in the coming days as UPA has come out with a "very very disastrous course which will rob the livelihood and jobs of millions of people".

He alleged UPA has become a "prisoner of corporates" and it went ahead with these "anti-people" measures as it wanted to impress the corporates. "

Forward Bloc National Secretary G Deverajan said it was a "poor attempt" by the government to show that there was no policy paralysis in the country.