Antony lashes out at CPM rule in Kerala

Kozhikode: India believes improvement in relations with neighbouring countries, including China and
Pakistan, could be brought about by solving disputes through talks, Defence Minister A K Antony said here today.'Our ambition is to improve relations with neighbouring countries, including China and Pakistan. Any
disputes can be sorted out through mutual discussions to improve relations with these two countries,' Antony said at a
'meet the leader' programme of the Calicut Press Club here.

He said the March 30 meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza
Gilani on the sidelines of the India-Pakistan World Cup semifinal at Mohali would not only improve Indo-Pak relations
but was also a good beginning.

Antony lashed out at the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front government in Kerala and the party's government in West
Bengal, saying that while LDF had failed to properly utilise the huge Central funds for development in its five year rule,
the 'anti-people' policies pursued in Bengal in the last 35 years had only resulted in unemployment and acute poverty.

'CPI(M), which normally resorts to anti-Centre slogans in the polls, does not have that agenda in this election as
that will not be accepted by people who are well aware of the enormous help given by the Centre to Kerala,' he said.

Antony stressed the need for close cooperation between the state and Centre and urged people to vote the UDF to power
to help Kerala become a model state.

On tackling corruption, he said the approach of the Centre and State government was different. While UPA had taken
prompt action on issues like 2G spectrum, Commonwealth Games and Adarsh Housing Society scams, LDF was yet to clarify what it had done in the last five years to curb the menace of illicit liquor lobby and sexual harassment cases, he said.

He said one of the major achievements of the UPA government was Mahatma Gandhi National Rural employment
Guarantee Scheme and said there are plans to put in place a food security programme to eradicate famine in the country.
PTI





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