KOTTAYAM: Coming down heavily on both the BJP and the Congress, CPM politburo member Prakash Karat on Wednesday, said an alternative government with a different economic policy was needed at the Centre. Speaking at the election campaign of V N Vasavan, the LDF candidate for Kottayam, Karat added the Left will have a major role to play to bring in such a government.
According to him, this election is going to be the most important election in Independent India, as the ruling BJP-RSS forces did not believe in the Constitution and the secular democratic principles ensured in it. “During the last five years in power, the BJP and the RSS worked to undermine the Constitution and the secular democratic values,” he said.
Karat also lashed out at the Modi Government for instigating communal violence and creating an insecure feeling among people in the name of nationalism.
“The BJP leaders, including Narendra Modi and Amit Sha, are trying to target minority people directly and indirectly. They are trying to make a feeling that there is a threat to the country and only they can protect India from both external and internal enemies. And the internal enemies are all those in the Opposition, secular-minded people and the Communists. All of them are anti-nationals. This is how they are trying to create fear and insecurity among the people,” he said.
According to him, only the Left can make an effective fight against the BJP and communal forces in the prevailing political scenario.
“The Congress can’t take up this job as they on many occasion compromised with the BJP and communal forces and also are taking an opportunistic politics as well. Many of their leaders quit the Congress to join the BJP in the run up to the election,” he said.
Karat added it is only in six states that the Congress is in a direct fight with the BJP. “In all other states, regional parties or the Left are the main force against the BJP and its alliances. So, after the election, the Left will have an important role in bringing together all these secular forces to form a government at the Centre. Meanwhile, many of them are reluctant to admit the leadership of the Congress,” he said.
Karat, who hailed the welfare projects of the LDF government, said its policies would be carried forward and projected at the national level. “When we have a secular government at the Centre we need a new direction and more people-oriented economic policies. And to ensure that we need more members of the Left in the Lok Sabha,” he said.