Eight opposition parties stage protest; give thumbs down to PM Modi's Rs 20 lakh crore package

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 13

Leaders of eight opposition parties, including five of Lef parties, on Wednesday staged a protest against dilution and annulment of labour laws by state governments.

The leaders also gave thumbs down to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcements of monetary stimulus package of Rs 20 lakh crore to reboot the economy on Tuesday.

They include Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), D Raja (CPI), Sharad Yadav (LJD), and Manoj Jha (RJD), besides leaders of AIFB, RSP, CPI(ML), and VCk.

The leaders protest was a follow up to their joint representation to the President of India Ram Nath Kovind on belittling of labour laws, a few days ago.

Speaking at the protest venue, Yechury said that the Covid-19 pandemic was being used as an alibi to tamper with the labour which whittled the interest safeguards for labour force as a courtesy to the corporate lobby.

“Instead of making efforts to mount a united fight against the pandemic, efforts were made to polarise the society on communal lines,” Yechury said.

Speaking on similar lines, D Raja said:”The government is indulging in witch-hunt and vendetta politics against those who took part in anti-CAA protests in Delhi.”

The leaders flayed the Centre for being “apathetic” to the plight of the migrant labourers who opted for mass exodus, even to the cost of trudging long distance on foot back to their home states pm empty stomach and pain, during the lockdown.

The country’s economy is based on the labour force which forms the base of pyramid of factors of production.

Referring to the economic stimulus package of Rs 20 lakh crore announced by Modi, the leaders said he did not mention the rehabilitation road plan for labourers whose lives have been upended by the lockdown.

Modi had announced the package avowing the need of India becoming economically vibrant, and self-reliant- a takeaway lesson from the crisis generated by Covid-19 pandemic.