Even as the reds found themselves in trouble after WikiLeaks cables showed Communist leaders from Kerala and West Bengal pleading for FDI from the US, CPI(M)’s general secretary Prakash Karat found nothing wrong in the conversations held between his party colleagues and the US officials.
However, Mr Karat warned that the interpretations the US officials derived from these conversations should be taken “with a pinch of salt.”
“You will find two things in these cables. One is factual information on the meetings and the other is the observation made by the US officials that we need not accept,” said Mr Karat in a press conference on Sunday, adding that there was nothing secret about the conversations held between his party colleagues and the US officials.
The cables had showed former West Bengal chief minister Budhadeb Bhattacharjee, CPI(M) Kerala state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan and former Kerala ministers T.M. Thomas Isaac and M.A. Baby talking to US officials seeking FDI from the US.
After the cables were leaked the party had faced stiff criticism of having double standard on the US policies. However, Mr Karat said that there was no change in party’s stand on US imperialism. “It is in the party’s programme that CPI(M) is not against FDI, however there are certain areas we oppose in FDI,” said Mr Karat.
Mr Karat explained that CPI(M) supported FDI so far as it helps productive capacity, new technology and generate employment.