Left parties to hold protest marches against Union Budget from Feb 12 to 18

The Left parties will hold nationwide protest marches from February 12-18 against the union budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, they said in a joint statement on Tuesday. The Left parties – CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML), AIFB and RSP - said the nationwide protests will be held against the "anti-people Budget" which "will further squeeze the livelihood conditions of the vast majority of our people".

"The Modi government has destroyed the Indian economy, imposing unprecedented burdens on the people. At the same time, it has been giving concession after concession to the rich and the corporates, which has widened economic inequalities amongst our people to levels never seen before in independent India," the statement said. The protests, the statement said, will demand rollback of the large-scale privatization of national assets including the disinvestment of LIC, which is a repository of people's lifelong savings and security.

"Against the unprecedented levels of unemployment and retrenchment due to closure/downsizing of factories; provide for a minimum wage of Rs 21,000 and adequate unemployment allowance," the statement said. It added that the protests will be held against the "deepening agrarian distress" and in support of the Left parties' demand for one-time loan waiver for farmers.

The parties also said the protests will highlight the large-scale cuts in government spending in crucial areas like food subsidy, agriculture and allied activities.

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