NEW DELHI: The CPI(M) today alleged that an atmosphere of intolerance was sharply rising in the country and demanded a ban by the Centre on "private armies" such as cow protection committees and anti-Romeo squads.
The Left party also demanded "lock, stock and barrel" withdrawal of Centre's notification banning sale and purchase of cattle at animal markets for slaughter.
Accusing the Centre of "betraying" farmers by not keeping its promise of ensuring minimum support price (MSP), CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury demanded that a law be enacted in Parliament giving peasants rights to sell their produces at MSP.
"The BJP has been able to consolidate its position mainly through the massive sharpening of communal polarisation across the country. Every institution of parliamentary democracy is being penetrated and sought to be communalised."
"An atmosphere of intolerance is sharply rising in the country. The CPI(M) has demanded that there should be a central ban on all such private armies particularly gau rakshak samitis, anti-Romeo squads," he said.
Yechury made the remarks after the conclusion of CPI(M) central committee's three-day meeting here.
He further alleged that agrarian crisis has deepened in the country during the NDA's regime as he referred to the recent farmers' protests in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
"Given these three years of betrayal we have demanded that a law be enacted in parliament that gives the right to kisans (farmers) to sell at the MSP at the rate as above," he added.