Criticising Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s comment regarding the Opposition’s “ignorance about global realities or their backwardness” in realising the need for economic reforms, CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat asked the Prime Minister to come down to the ground realities and understand the sufferings of the toiling masses. “Don’t see the world sitting on an American helicopter, please come down to the ground,” she said.
Addressing a women’s rally, she accused the UPA government of manipulating Parliament for their survival.
She said: “I don’t know what the magic is. Is it the CBI or is it Walmart? But you won’t be able to manipulate the people of the country.” She urged the gathering to ensure the return of the Left Front government in the coming Assembly elections to show that the nation has a true alternative.
She accused the Centre of inability to understand the problems of women. She said the proposed cash transfer programme will be a disaster for them. She said there is no dearth of money in this country but the problem is the “shortage of vision of our leaders running the government at the Centre”.
She also criticised the state governments run either by the Congress or the BJP for various social problems being faced by women and claimed that only the Left Front government in Tripura is working in the right direction to empower them.
“It is the only state where the name of the female partner is also being registered while allotting land to a family,” she said.
Politburo member and chief minister Manik Sarkar criticised the call for “parivartan” given by the Congress and warned women about returning to the days when they were not safe even in their homes.