CPI(M) to protest during Donald Trump’s visit to India

CPI(M)
general secretary   Sitaram Yechury said
on Thursday that his party will stage protest during US President Donald Trumps
visit to the country later this month, as he was coming to boost American
economy at the cost of India’s interest.

Yechury said
the Left workers will launch agitation wherever Trump goes during the tour on
February 24 and 25.

“May be
in Delhi or in Gujarat, the party activists will certainly protest”, he
said.

The CPI(M)
leader said the protests would be held on two counts.

“Firstly,
America is putting pressure and (Narendra) Modi is succumbing to completely
open up our economy which is the gain they want to achieve in order to give
support to Modi on issues like CAA, Article 370 and others, Yechury told
reporters on the sideline of an anti-CAA rally here.

“That
is the quid pro quo going on, which is not in Indias interest.

“This
apart, we will be spending billions of dollars for buying US military
equipments, to bailout US economy while destroying our own,” Yechury
remarked.

Replying to
a question on the increse in LPG cylinder price, the CPM leader said his party
has been protesting against it at many centres and places.

“The
price hike is completely unwarranted. The international oil prices are not on
escalating. In fact it is deescalating a little.This is all because of the
crisis created in the balance sheets of our oil majors by the Modi government
which started borrowing from them in terms of greater dividends and destroying
the balance sheet,” he alleged.

“In
order to stablise the balance sheets, they are doing it (price hike of LPG
cylinder). There is no necessity at all for increasing the price,” Yechury
said, adding the balance sheet is rectified in order to prepare the oil majors
for disinvestment.

Sitharaman
had on Tuesday last said the economy is not in trouble and green shoots are
visible with the country moving towards a USD 5 trillion economy.