NEW DELHI: Accusing the Narendra Modi government of failing on every front, including the economy, foreign policy and social security of economically weaker sections, Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary D Raja on Tuesday challenged PM Narendra Modi to a public debate and called for a change of government at the Centre.
“Today, our nation is in deep and multiple crises. How to overcome this crisis?... Unless, we bring a change. We should remove the Modi government and protect the country.
That is why this is the slogan… change is necessary,” Raja said while addressing the Left party’s ‘Badlaav Zaroori Hai’ (Change is Necessary) rally against the alleged failures of the Modi government at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi.
Raja said unemployment and underemployment had become “the most burning issue” and alleged that prices of essential commodities were rising and the Indian rupee had fallen to a “shameful level”. He also criticised the government’s foreign policy, alleging that India’s sovereignty was under attack and questioning its position on the Israel-Hamas war and Russian oil imports.
“If you have honesty, come for a public debate, we will argue before the people of India,” Raja said. He also questioned whether PM Modi was “with the poor or corporate”. Referring to amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, Raja alleged they amounted to an attack on federalism and tribal people.
He also criticised the alleged “Shuddhikaran” of a venue in Haldwani after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a public meeting there, saying the incident showed that Dalits and Adivasis were under attack. Raja said the CPI would intensify its campaign against the government and initiate a “Jail Bharo movement” in December.