Thiruvananthapuram: CPM in Kerala on Monday hit back at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and AICC chief Sonia Gandhi for their alleged remarks that LDF was living in the past, saying the Front's policies were not for generating millionaires but for alleviating poverty. LDF did not believe in the "new line of Prime Minister and Gandhi of generating millionaires in the country," CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters.
The Prime Minister at election campaigns in Kottayam and Kollam last week had said, "It is unfortunate that the Left Front refuses to change with time." While at a separate rally in Harippad, Gandhi had remarked that the left Front was opposed to "every modern, forward looking development."
CPM-led LDF government in the state had given priority during its five year rule to address the needs of poor, Vijayan said on Monday. Rejecting the charge of Defence Minister A K Antony that the LDF government has nothing to project as achievements, Vijayan said "to put in a modest language this is insulting".
Giving details of various welfare measures undertaken by the government during the past five years, Vijayan said suicide of farmers due to debt burden came down after LDF government's intervention by setting up Farmer's Debt Relief Commission. On the claim by Antony that it was the UPA government policies that stopped farmers suicide, Vijayan asked how come then farmers suicide have not ended in Congress ruled Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. It was due to the "farmer friendly approach" of the LDF government that turned the situation in favour of farmers in the state, he said.
The development work undertaken and achievements of LDF government were the main issues during the poll campaign, he said. The government was actually a 'model government' to other states in the country, he claimed.
To a question on the Jamait-e-islami's decision to support LDF candidates in 124 segments out of 140 in the April 13 polls, Vijayan said that the organisation used to take political stand at particular phases. CPM had not made any political discussion with Jamait or had any tie-up with them, Vijayan said when asked about a meeting he had with Jamait leaders at Alappuzha recently.
Vijayan said it was good that Church did not to take a particular political position even though some in the community had differences of opinion on the policies of LDF.
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