Latest news with #CPI(M)
The Hindu
7 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Extract public commitment from Modi on continuing VSP in the public sector, CPI(M) tells Naidu, Pawan
A day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Visakhapatnam to participate in the International Day of Yoga celebrations on Saturday (June 21), the CPI(M) on Friday demanded that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan secure a clear public commitment from him that the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) would remain in the public sector. Addressing the media in Vijayawada, party State secretary V. Srinivasa Rao expressed concern over the uncertain future of the steel plant, citing widespread fears over privatisation. The lion's share of the ₹11,400 crore revival package allocated by the Union government was used to repay debts and taxes and the remaining for operational needs such as salaries, machinery, and raw materials, he said. 'The package is an illusion meant to mislead the people. Thousands of employees have already lost their jobs, and now the plant faces the threat of privatisation. The BJP, the TDP, and the JSP have all misled the people in the name of a revival package. The recent allocation of mines and port access to the Mittal Group indicates backdoor privatisation efforts,' Mr. Srinivasa Rao said. He also criticised the government's expenditure of ₹70 crore on yoga promotion programmes, calling it wasteful at a time when basic needs like food, shelter, and employment remained unaddressed. 'Millions already practice yoga individually. What people need is not mass yoga shows, but job security and livelihood support,' he said, adding that the funds should have been spent on improving children's nutrition. Mr. Srinivasa Rao also raised doubts about the authenticity of the government's claim that two crore people had registered themselves for the yoga programme. 'The registrations are largely bogus. Even my name has been listed without consent. This is all done to chase a Guinness record,' he alleged, presenting documents to support his claim. Party Central Committee member D. Rama Devi condemned the recent incident in Kuppam where a woman had reportedly been tied to a tree and beaten by a moneylender. 'This is the reality of women empowerment under this government,' she said.
The Hindu
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Left stages protest in Ballari condemning attacks on Palestine and Iran
On the occasion of National Communal Harmony Day, various Left parties staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office in Ballari, condemning the 'imperialist aggression' against Palestine and Iran. The demonstration strongly denounced the alleged massacre being carried out by Israel in Gaza with the support of the United States, as well as the recent bombing of Iran. Protesters urged the Indian government to oppose the war-mongering policies of the United States and Israel and to adopt an unequivocal anti-war stance. Addressing the gathering, district secretary of SUCI(C) S. Radhakrishna Upadhya said that creating conflict zones across the globe to sell arms and increase profits is the business model of American capitalists. 'U.S. President Donald Trump represents these capitalist interests. Facing an economic crisis, the United States seeks revival through artificial means like war. To counter this war-hungry agenda of America, Israel and other imperialist nations, global anti-war and workers movements must be intensified to push back against imperialist designs,' he said. CPI(M) district secretary Satyababu stated that Israel, emboldened by U.S. support, has been conducting barbaric bombing campaigns on Gaza for the past two years, violating ceasefire agreements. 'Schools, hospitals, and mosques have been targeted and over 55,000 Palestinian civilians, including a large number of women and children, have been killed. Now, it has launched airstrikes on Iran, killing several 'key figures',' he said. Veteran trade union leader T.G. Vitthal remarked that the BJP-led Union government aligned itself with the interests of the U.S. and Israel, thereby undermining India's anti-imperialist legacy rooted in the freedom movement. Many labour leaders, including Pramod, A. Devadas, Chandra Kumari, Guru Murthy, Somashekhar Gowda, Shanta, Nagarathna and Hanumappa, participated in the agitation.
The Hindu
8 hours ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Work begins on Urban Primary Health Centre building in Nagapattinam after much delay
Construction work for a new Urban Primary Health Centre (UPHC) building on Marundhu Kothalam Road in Nagapattinam has finally begun, following the demolition of the old and damaged structure last week. This comes after several representations made by residents and civic groups. Two years ago, the UPHC was temporarily shifted to a Health and Wellness Centre on Pazha Street in Ward 30, after the old building was declared unsafe. The temporary location — situated on a narrow and congested stretch — met with criticism because of water stagnation and poor road condition, which made it challenging for patients to reach the facility. Although ₹1.2 crore had been sanctioned under the National Health Mission, the demolition and reconstruction work faced significant delays. Lack of progress prompted several appeals from residents, civil society organisations, and political representatives urging the authorities to expedite the work. K. Venkadesan, town secretary of the CPI(M), said this was the only UPHC serving Nagapattinam town. 'The delay has caused great hardship to the public. The construction must be completed at the earliest without excuses,' he said. Officials from the Health Department said the construction was now under way and was expected to be completed within six months.
The Hindu
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
CPI(M) says setback in Nilambur bypoll will cause UDF to ‘implode'
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] has said a possible setback in the Nilambur Assembly bypoll in Kerala would cause the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) alliance to 'implode.' CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan told reporters on Friday that the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leadership had expressed annoyance at 'the ham-handed manner' in which the Congress handled the campaign, including a marked lack of tact in placating potential allies and turning them into enemies instead. He said senior Congress leaders' open criticism of the younger leadership's juvenile publicity stunts and political gimmickry exposed the deep fissures in the party. 'Their palpable bitterness foreshadowed the next bout of self-destructive factional fighting in the Congress ahead of the local body polls in 2025 and the Assembly elections in 2026', Mr. Govindan added. He said Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Shashi Tharoor, MP, complained that the State leadership willfully excluded him from the Nilambur by-poll campaign. (Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph, MLA, stated that Mr. Tharoor topped the list of 'star UDF campaigners' in Nilambur). Mr. Govindan said Mr. Tharoor had publicly admitted to having profound differences of opinion with the All India Congress Committee (AICC) leadership and has reportedly sought an appointment with Rahul Gandhi to air his grievances. Mr. Govindan said Mr. Tharoor's mutiny seemed ominous for the Congress. He said the falsehoods, historical distortions, conspiracy theories, petty political theatre, social media antics and cheap publicity stunts marked the UDF's 'laughable campaign' in Nilambur. Mr. Govindan said the CPI(M) State committee was yet to conduct a granular analysis of the voting pattern in Nilambur. 'However, the party had waged a successful political campaign in Nilambur. It fielded its candidate and used the hustings as a political platform to successfully convey the LDF's good governance and secular positioning to the electorate', he said. Slams BJP The CPI(M) State committee slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for abandoning India's storied Non-Alignment Movement (NAM)-informed foreign policy and playing second fiddle to 'the expansionary war-mongering of the Israel-U.S. axis.' Mr. Govindan said the Central government was tangibly fearful of condemning Israel's attack on Iran and its genocidal bombing campaign over Palestine, chiefly Gaza.
India Today
14 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Anti-Israel protest outside US Consulate in Hyderabad, several detained
Several people were detained outside the US Consulate in Hyderabad's Gachibowli area, during a protest by Left-wing organisations. According to the organisers, the demonstration was held to condemn Israel's recent airstrikes on Iran and demand justice for protesters raised slogans denouncing Israeli aggression and called for urgent international intervention to end the violence. Demonstrators could be seen holding up placards with 'Stop Genocide' written outside the consulate in Gachibowli the protest grew larger, Gachibowli Police stepped in and took several individuals into preventive custody to avoid any untoward incidents. The authorities also increased the security in the area, and the officials said the situation was now under control and the area remained under close watch to ensure Telangana CPI(M), through its social media handle on X stated that the police detained party's state secretary John Wesley and other leaders who were protesting in front of the US state CPI(M) wrote: 'The protest in front of the US consulate in Hyderabad was called by Left parties who condemned Israel and demanded that the Indian government suspend all military and security cooperation with it.'Must Watch IN THIS STORY#Israel#United States of America
