By Firstdespatch Desk Aug 24, 2022
Agartala, Aug 24 (FD) CPI(M) general secretary Sitram Yechury today called upon people and political parties to form a bigger platform of secular forces to counter the challenges posed by the BJP.
Launching a scathing attack on the BJP, Yechury alleged that the central government has been trying to destroy the spirit of the secular democratic republic, the foundation of the Indian constitution.
Addressing a meeting here, the party General Secretary claimed that the BJP has brought in “bulldozer politics”, the CPI(M) general secretary claime
d that those who are following the Constitution are being sent to jail while garland is offered to those violating it.
The party in power at the Centre continues to form government no matter if it loses or wins polls, he said.
Attempts are being made to push for ‘fascistic Hindutva’ in the country by scuttling the Constitutional spirit, Yechury said at a party programme here.
“The four main pillars of Indian democracy - secularism, economic sovereignty, social justice and federalism - are at stake. The government is not accountable as Parliament has stopped functioning properly,” he said.
The Constitution could not be saved if the BJP is not uprooted from power, the CPI(M) leader claimed.
“Besides consolidating the strength of the CPI (M) and other Left parties, there is a need to bring all secular forces together to counter the challenges the county is facing now. The united fight of security forces can save the country from becoming a fascistic Hindutva state,” he said.
“Elections are not being conducted free and fairly. The BJP has been able to form government in some states like Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh even after defeats,” he said.
On the release of the 11 life convicts in the Bilkis Bano case, he said they were set free following the recommendation of the BJP government in Gujarat.
“It is good the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case,”, he said.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to consider listing a plea challenging the grant of remission by the Gujarat government to 11 life convicts in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case.
Bano, who was pregnant at that time, was gang-raped while 14 people including her three-year-old daughter, were killed during the Gujarat riot in 2002.
Former chief minister and CPI(M) Politburo member Manik Sarkar and the party's state secretary Jitendra Chowdhury also spoke on the occasion. FD JK