Defeating BJP our main agenda, says Yechury
MAHILPUR (HOSHIARPUR) : Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said here on Tuesday that his party's objective was to defeat the BJP and its divisive agenda and it was working to achieve this goal. The CPM leader was speaking at a press conference here.
He said the Modi government was constantly trying to undermine the constitutional authorities and muzzle the dissenting voices, which was a dangerous trend and needed to be stopped.
“It is furthering its electoral prospects by polarising people on communal lines. It won the Tripura election by fuelling tribal and non-tribal enmity. Such divisive policies are detrimental for the very democracy,” he stated.
He said the BJP had worsened living conditions of the working class. “People are losing jobs due to privatisation, farmers are committing suicide, the gap between the haves and have-nots has increased alarmingly. The overall scenario in the country is very worrisome,” he said.
Asked if the CPM would enter into an alliance with another party to combat the BJP, he said that secular forces can come together without entering into an electoral alliance. "Moreover in our country, united fronts come into formation only after the elections. It has become a tradition," he said. He said the matter would come up for discussion in the party's national congress to be held this month in Hyderabad.
Responding to another query, Yechury said the CPM might not have lost elections but not its ideology. "Massive 'andolans' (movements) in the recent past in Maharashtra and elsewhere are symbols of a revolutionary movement and have proved that resentment is growing against capitalist forces,” he added.
Admitting that mass struggles had not translated into votes for the communist parties, he said there were various factors behind it. “Our fight is not for political gains only. It is to shake the repressive forces.”