“India is a prize for the US and not Pakistan because of its market. Developed India can be useful for counter-balancing China. This is a game the US is trying to play which has to be foiled”, he said. “The US has the power to interfere in any part of the world and (President) Bush is already threatening World War III...Our government thinks being on the side of the US will be the right choice. But we have taken up a task —- to expose the US.”

The ruling class in India, Karat said, believed that there would be development if India is on the right side of the USA. “West Bengal is the advanced post for the fight against imperialism and in the coming days, it will continue to put up its resistance”, he said.

At a separate meeting earlier in the day, Jyoti Basu told the party’s women’s wing to fight for the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) and resist the UPA’s “anti-people” policies.

Basu said the CPM was supporting the Congress-led UPA solely to isolate and defeat the BJP. “Our party was not for joining the government but we decided to support the Congress-led government so that the required numbers for a majority are ensured. It was our task to isolate and defeat the BJP,” he said.