CPI backs Rahul Gandhi, says best package of Indian economy would be to replace Arun Jaitley

Kolkata: CPI general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy on Tuesday said the best package for the Indian economy would be to replace Arun Jaitley with an economist at the helm of the finance ministry. “The situation of the country is turning from bad to worse under the (Narendra) Modi government. The economy is in a very bad shape. We feel that the best package for the Indian economy would be to pack off Arun Jaitley from the finance ministry and replace him with an economist. Jaitley has been a complete failure as a finance minister,” Reddy said at a press conference here. [caption id=“attachment_3490375” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of CPI general secretary Sudhakar Reddy. Getty Images[/caption] He also said that attempts were being made to form the “broadest possible platform” against the BJP-RSS with the secular, democratic and Left parties, including the Congress. “Efforts are on to form the broadest possible platform to counter the march of the BJP-RSS in the country,” Reddy said. Asked if the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which also holds the status of a national party, would be a part of the platform, he said, “The political situation is different in different states. So, the state units will take a call on it.” However, CPI deputy general secretary Gurudas Dasgupta ruled out the possibility of the Mamata Banerjee-led party being a part of the platform. “Let the TMC fight the BJP on its own. We do not want to take a party like the TMC, which itself is slaughtering democracy in the state (West Bengal), along with us,” he said.