"The new liberalised economic policy being pursued by the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre is responsible for the price rise," CPI general secretary A B Bardhan said.
"It is not only Pawar and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, rather the entire Congress is responsible for the problem," he told reporters here.
For the first time in 25 years, all the trade unions (TUs) including INTUC and BJP-affiliated BMS have forged an ideological link on the issue of price rise and food security. These TUs would launch a fill-the-jail campaign on March five across the country, the CPI leader said.
However, the state governments also cannot escape the responsibility for the problems as they have failed to initiate effective steps for implementing the provisions of the Essential Commodities' ACT and check hoarding, he said.
Four left parties -- CPI, CPI-M, Forward Bloc and RSP -- would also hold a rally in New Delhi on March 12 against the price rise, Bardhan said, adding that more than five lakh people from Bihar would participate in the rally.
Bardhan also ridiculed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's statement that when state like West Bengal failed to implement land reforms, what could a state like Bihar do on the issue?
Bardhan pointed out that more than 25 lakh landless people had received land under land reforms package implemented when late Jyoti Basu was West Bengal chief minister.
"Our party would continue its agitation in Bihar for implementation of D Bandopadhyay Commission's report on land reforms for ensuring rights to sharecroppers," he said.