NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) on Tuesday attacked the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala and chief minister VD Satheesan in particular, stating that soft Hindutva and authoritarian tendencies are being displayed by the state government.
Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi organised to brief about the discussions held in the Central Committee meeting, party general secretary MA Baby alleged that the Kerala government is surrendering the interests of the state before the corporates.
“The soft Hindutva and compromising character of the Congress has been in full display right from the day of swearing in of the new ministers… The governor has started appointing his choices as vice-chancellors who are pro-BJP and RSS. The state government did not protest and there were many other instances… The CPM will not allow the government to weaken the welfare measures introduced by the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government. It will mobilise people in defence of their rights,” said Baby.
Referring to Satheesan, the CPM leader added that many Congress leaders had also developed a soft corner towards foundational right-wing political ideology.
“Earlier, the present chief minister Satheesan participated in a programme where he lit a lamp in front of MS Golwalkar and paid respects. He has some relationship contact with the Sangh Parivar people, even though he is a top leader of the Congress line in North India, where you find many top Congress leaders are becoming soft towards Hindutva and Manuvaad ideology. We see certain symptoms of this in Satheesan,” Baby said.
He also alleged that the state government deliberately avoided criticism of the Centre, which neglects Kerala.
“Whenever LDF government used to present budgets, there used to be a section where the neglect of the union government towards Kerala, the wrong financial and wrong political approach of the union government. This used to form part of the budget. The present chief minister reasoned the criticism as the leader of the opposition. But the budget presented by Satheesan, who is also the finance minister, you won’t find any such sharp criticism about the union BJP government,” Baby said.
He also condemned the state government for the proposed transfer of a 49 per cent stake in the Vizhinjam port project.
“It is also with the knowledge of the CM that Adani Ports has got approval for a 49 per cent share to be handed over to a foreign entity. Now, some feeble technical objections have been raised by the CM. But everybody knows that this has happened with the passive approval of the present government itself,” Baby added.
He acknowledged some mistakes, such as poor campaigning and selection of candidates that had led to the party's dismal performance in the Assembly elections held this year.
“The Committee conducted an in-depth and detailed review of the results of the recently concluded assembly elections. Certain shortcomings and weaknesses in the way the campaign was conducted, issues were posed, selection of candidates was identified. The party will sincerely conduct a rectification campaign in order to overcome these shortcomings and weaknesses. The concrete steps that will be undertaken will be announced in the extended meetings of the Party state committees in Bengal (in August) and Kerala (in September),” Baby added.