CPM to corner govt on various issues in statewide campaign from June 8 to 14

Launching a broadside against the police department, which fired gunshots at the anti-Sterlite protesters that claimed 13 lives in Thoothukudi, K Balakrishnan, state secretary of the CPM, told reporters, “The police are still working day and night, to arrest over 3,000 protesters by slapping false charges on them.”

Stating that Sterlite copper belonged to Vedanta group, which has a strong relationship with the BJP at the Centre, the CPM leader said that the Vedanta group is the one, which donates large-scale money to the BJP, whenever there are elections in the country. “The state has already been gifted away to the corporates, which keep exploiting the agriculture lands in the name of executing detrimental projects like hydrocarbon and methane exploration. The role of corporates has caused severe environmental impact in the state and livelihood of people was also largely affected,” Balakrishnan said.

As if this is not enough, the Centre has further increased price of petrol and diesel intermittently. “The price increase has rattled the common people,” he charged.

The CPM leader launched a frontal attack on the Centre for not keeping its poll promise on employment for jobless youth. “The BJP, in its election manifesto, assured of providing jobs to two crore youth every year. However, it has failed to keep its promise,” Balakrishnan said.

Meanwhile, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury will visit the families of firing victims on Sunday. A statement released by the CPM unit said, “Sitaram will visit the families of police firing victims and he will be accompanied by Balakrishnan, state secretary. Later, the general secretary will address the media.”