IANS/Kolkata
CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat said yesterday Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should own up responsibility for the various scams that have engulfed the central government.
Activists from the Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) shout slogans and hold placards during a protest against corruption and price hike in diesel, kerosene and cooking gas in Ahmedabad yesterday
Accusing Manmohan Singh of heading “the most corrupt regime” ever in India, Karat told reporters here that the prime minister’s role in the 2G saga and similar issues was “questionable”.
“The prime minister’s role in the 2G spectrum scam mattered. His approach and attitude to the KG basin scam ... indicates he was aware of what was happening.
“So the people are now questioning his role. I think the PM should own up responsibility because he is presiding over the most corrupt regime since independence,” Karat said after a two-day central committee meeting of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M).
“We have time and again said whoever is involved in corruption, whether a politician or bureaucrat, must be brought to book.
“Thankfully, the Supreme Court intervened in the matter and now a former telecom minister is in jail. But this should not stop. It should go on.”
A CAG report has alleged that between 2004 and 2006, the oil and petroleum ministry bent the rules to allow private companies to benefit at the cost of the government’s own financial stake in development of K G Basin, considered India’s largest gas fields.
The spectrum allotment in 2008 when the now jailed A Raja was the telecommunication minister is believed to have caused huge losses to the national exchequer.
“There was corruption in previous governments also. But the present government has beaten all those records,” said Karat.
Asked if the CPI-M would seek the prime minister’s resignation, Karat said: “We have said the role of the prime minister in many of these matters is questionable.
“We want him to take responsibility. I am sure the prime minister will come to the conclusion that all this is happening under his leadership.”
A CPI-M statement said: “In both the 2G and KG basin matters, the prime minister was fully aware of the developments but did not stop the wrong doings. (He) has to own up responsibility for presiding over this corrupt regime.”
It said the Congress-led central government had “become synonymous with high level corruption. Fresh corruption scandals involving the higher echelons of the government are coming out every day.
“Apart from the 2G spectrum case there has been massive corruption involved in the KG Basin gas contract, as per the draft report submitted by the CAG.
“In the Commonwealth Games corruption, the involvement of the Delhi government and other Central Government agencies in corrupt practices has been uncovered in the CAG report submitted to parliament.”
The CPI-M said it were the neo-liberal policies which had made the Indian government “act as the facilitator and handmaiden of the loot of public resources by big business and corporates. High level corruption stems directly from this economic regime.
“The loot of natural resources is graphically illustrated by the rampant illegal mining which is taking place (in Karnataka).”
It called the prosecution of former Karnataka chief minister B S Yedyurappa and others named in the report as well as companies involved in this “loot”.
‘Food security bill in this form is unacceptable’
Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Prakash Karat said yesterday that the food security bill in its current form will curtail the food security as it caters to certain sections of society.
“This will not be a good food security legislation as they are trying to restrict the food security to certain sections of society. They have already given a quota - 46% of the population in rural areas and 28% in urban areas. Thus, a vast section of the poor will continue to be excluded,” Karat said.
“Secondly, the price of rice, which is Rs2 (per kilo) in many states, has been kept at Rs3 (per kilo). So, is this helping food security or curtailing food security? We are not happy with many aspects of the food security bill. We want a strong food security bill,” said Karat.
He also criticised federal Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s statement on price rise in parliament. “We have a government which does not seem worried with double digit inflation. The government attitude was projected in union finance minister’s speech on price rise, which justified that government can’t do anything more,” said Karat.
Commenting on the proposed land acquisition bill, Karat said: “We want a new law which will combine both land acquisition and rehabilitation and resettlement.”
“We are being told that government is thinking on these lines to have a combined bill and that should be a comprehensive bill which will look after the interest of the farmers. We are waiting for the bill to come out and then we will concretise our stand,” said Karat.
He also announced the CPI-M central committee’s decision to hold the 20th Congress of the party at Kozhikode in Kerala. The congress will be held on April 4-9 next year.