Yechury slams Cong-led UPA on economic policies

There is no difference between the BJP and the Congress as far as the economic policies are concerned, says Yechuri

Lashing out at the Congress-led UPA government, CPI(M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury today said its economic policies have imposed a burden on the people.

"The economic policies being followed by UPA Government have imposed burden on the people of the country and they continue to be imposed like the recent hike in cooking gas prices," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

"There is no difference between the BJP and the Congress as far as the economic policies are concerned," he said.

To a query on Aam Aadmi Party's performance in the recent assembly elections in Delhi, he said "AAP's success in Delhi is the result of the ill-feeling of the people, who are searching for an alternative."

"We are working an alternative that is not merely a political alternative to come to power at the Centre, but an alternative that is capable of implementing alternative policies," he said.

Yechury said the country has enough resources to provide a better quality of life, education and food security to all the people. "But, all these resources are used for profit maximisation by foreign companies and Indian big corporates."

He said the Madhav Gadgil committee and Kasturirangan panel report on conservation of Western Ghats should be subjected to proper discussion by all the stakeholders.

Yechury said "the entire western ghats is an area which is of greater importance in terms of natural evolution of various species etc."

On the reported differences of opinion on the Gadgil committee report between Kerala CPI(M) Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan and party veteran and Leader of Opposition V S Achuthanandan, he said the state committee of the party is capable of resolving whatever issues there are.

"The issue is we want this to be subjected to proper discussion by all the stakeholders," he said.