Unrest against NDA govt growing: Karat
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Demonetisation has led to economic slowdown and already 15 lakh people have lost their jobs
PRAKASH KARAT, senior CPM leader
LUCKNOW: Senior Communist Party of India (M) leader Prakash Karat said on Sunday dissatisfaction and resistance against the BJP-led NDA government was increasing across the country.
“Demonetization has led to economic slowdown and already 15 lakh people have lost their jobs. Leaders of the opposition parties should go to the people to launch a united movement against the anti-people policies of the central government and explain to them the growing unemployment and their economic and social exploitation,” he said.
He was speaking at a seminar ‘Contemporary Challenges and Our Responsibility’ organized to celebrate 70th birthday of Prof Ramesh Dixit, NCP leader, professor of political science in Lucknow University and an alumnus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Recalling his days in JNU, Karat said, “Dixit played a pivotal role in the formation of students union in JNU”.
Hitting out at the central government, he said Congress imposed Emergency to crush the opposition but the policies of the present BJP government at the center had emerged as a fundamental challenge to the civilization, culture and unity of the country. “The country is passing through a critical period post-independence,” he said.
“After grabbing power at the centre, the BJP spent three years in political consolidation. But the policies of the government have started backfiring now; the farmers agitation in Maharashtra, Rajasthan and massive labourers rally in Delhi clearly indicate that there is desperation among the people against the policies of the government,” he said.
Karat further said the BJP, which had no base in Kerala, was mobilizing its resources to make inroads in the state and trying to divide the labours and farmers’ unions to gain ground. Nationalist Congress Party leader DP Tripathi said today the very foundation of the country was being challenged by the rightist forces.
Well known author and historian Sohail Hashmi said the BJP leaders should know that 69% of the people did not support them in the election. “There is an attempt to terrorize a section of the people; already 24 Muslims have been killed by cow vigilante groups. People of the country will definitely bring the change,” he said. Senior Congress leader Ammar Rizvi said there was fear all over the country. People could not be terrorized or suppressed and it’s a temporary phase that would pass soon, he added.