CPI (M) today demanded an immediate halt to futures trading in all essential commodities to contain inflation."In order to check speculation and inflation, futures trading must be stopped in all essential commodities though the government has removed pulses, wheat and rice from the purview of the forward markets due to our pressure," CPI-M politburo member Sitaram Yechury told reporters here.Stating that the US has officially admitted that its economy was going through rough times, he said, recession, the falling value of dollar and growing unemployment in America would have an adverse impact on India, and the government must initiate corrective measures to tackle the situation.Observing that the rupee has appreciated 13% during the past one year, he said decline in exports and the manufacturing sector, coupled with badly-hit IT and textile sectors, would cause considerable loss of jobs.He said such a situation has put the projections in the union budget into uncertainties.Voicing his party's determination to prevent signing of the nuclear deal with the US, Yechury said: "Our agenda is not to destabilise the UPA government but to stop the nuclear deal. It is for the government to decide its future course of action."He said the left parties would discuss the whole gamut of issues relating to the deal with the government during the meeting scheduled for March 17. The left parties would also like to see and study the draft agreement for the deal planned with the US, Yechury said adding the government must share all its discussions with IAEA.
