Include food, health, housing in fundamental rights list:

The CPI(ML) Liberation manifesto on Tuesday advocated amending the Constitution for recognising the Right to Work, Right to Health, Right to Housing and Right to Education as fundamental rights.

The party's general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya also came down heavily on Narendra Modi government's "anti-poor" policies while releasing the party manifesto.

Demanding an allocation of 10 per cent of GDP for education, the ultra-Left party also made a strong pitch for "scrapping" the Defamation Act and Official Secrets Act.

He, however, had a word of appreciation for the Minimum Income Guarantee Scheme saying, "we are in favour of the scheme if the ongoing welfare schemes meant especially for the poor are not withdrawn."

Pointing out that money will not be a problem for running the scheme, he suggested an increase in corporate tax and imposition of one per cent of wealth and inheritance tax on the super rich.

 

The CPI( ML) Liberation, he said, would try to ensure that the NDA is not able to form a government at the Centre through "manipulations" after the general elections.

Talking to reporters here while releasing the party manifesto, Bhattacharya said his party would rather strive for exploring possibilities of forming a non-NDA goverment at the Centre.

"I would appeal to each and every voter to ensure the crushing defeat of the BJP and NDA in the Lok Sabha elections. I would especially appeal to the people of Bihar to ensure that the NDA is not able to open its account in any of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

"In doing so, we will succeed in defeating the 'fascist' BJP and putting an end to 'Hitler shahi', Bhattacharya said.

The BJP's Lok Sabha tally will "reduce by half" in Gujarat while the saffron party will be "wiped out" in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, he said.

Bhattacharya said that the party will be fielding its candidates in 22 seats across the country besides putting up its nominees in Siwan, Karakat, Jehanabad and Ara in Bihar.

The RJD has left out Ara seat in favour of the ultra-Left party.

The party would extend its support to the CPI(M) candidate in Ujiarpur and the CPI candidate and former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar in Begusarai, he said.

The CPI(ML) Liberation would extend its support to grand alliance parties in the rest 34 constituencies in Bihar and all other parties which will be in a position to defeat the BJP, Bhattacharya said.