BJP is encouraging communal forces, attacks on minorities, claims Sitaram Yechury

Sangareddy (Telangana): CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Sunday accused the ruling BJP of “encouraging communal forces” in the country and creating a fear psychosis in minds of minorities and dalits by intimidating them.

“BJP is encouraging communal forces as well as attacks on minorities. Atrocities on dalits are becoming very common. They are living in fear while precious human lives are at stake on what to eat and what not to. Such incidents and ideology are dangerous to the country and our secular fabric is being threatened,” Yechury said.

He was addressing a two-day conclave of the CPI-M Telangana State Extended Executive Committee, which began in Sangareddy on Sunday.

Observing that any kind of intolerance is “condemnable”, the Left leader said, “The NDA government has done nothing concrete to control such forces which imply that they are supporting the communal forces”.

He said returning of awards by various authors, filmmakers and other prominent persons in protest against ‘intolerance’ is not new as Nobel-laureate Rabindranath Tagore had also returned his award to the British government.

“As scores of authors, artists, poets and scientists have returned their awards against growing intolerance, the government should take a serious note and initiate remedial measures,” he said.

Referring to the BJP’s debacle in Bihar Assembly elections, Yechury said, “The BJP’s intolerance mantra is not acceptable to the country’s secular people and the Bihar verdict is a clear indication to the BJP that such communal politics will not garner votes or seats for them.”

He also took potshots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “frequently” touring foreign countries.

“Nothing has been achieved through Modi’s foreign trips. Economical growth has slowed down, prices of petrol and diesel have shot up nine times in last sixteen months, rate of farmers’ suicide has gone up by 19 percent under NDA dispensation,” Yechury said.

He alleged that farmers are yet to get satisfactory minimum support price for their produce and that manufacturing sector has slowed down to two percent.

“Prices of pulses are skyrocketing and the common man cannot afford dal in his meal,” the general secretary said.

He said the CPI(M) will conduct a nationwide programme from 1 December to denounce the BJP’s “communal agenda”. Yechury said that efforts were afoot to bring various Communist parties on a single platform and a Left Front will soon emerge as an alternative.

On terrorism, he said the IS was nurtured by the US to further its interests in Arab countries to gain control over petrol and gas.

He said the government should reveal the agenda of a proposal, if any, on a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart at the climate summit in Paris.

“Before the general elections last year, the BJP used to tell that they will teach a lesson to Pakistan. Has BJP taught any lesson to Pakistan,” Yechury questioned.

CPI-M general secretary of Telangana, T Veerabhadram and other party leaders, besides around 200 delegates from various parts of the state were present at the conclave.

PTI