Third term for BJP will spell end of federalism: Isaac

Heckling by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the sale of masala bonds by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Board (KIIFB) when he was Finance Minister has not interfered with the flow of his campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections, according to T.M. Thomas Isaac, Left Democratic Front candidate in Pathanamthitta constituency.

“I’ve instead made it a key part of my election campaign. When people ask me why the ED is after me because the Congress is telling them that I will be arrested in the same way the Delhi Chief Minister Arvin Kejriwal was, it gives me a chance to explain KIIFB projects worth ₹7,000 crore carried out in the constituency,” Dr. Isaac, a central committee member of the CPI(M), tells The Hindu.

The ED, he says, has become the enforcement agency of the BJP to target political opponents and the electoral bond revelations showed how it was used as “an extortionary instrument to collect money” for the party.

On ED summons

Repeatedly summoned by the ED in connection with the KIIFB case, Dr. Isaac says he has no plans to appear before it unless it tells him what his crime is.

“We are fighting it in the court amidst which it’s summoning me again. The last time, it was with a slight threat which sounded like, “you are being given one last chance”. What are they going to do after that? They couldn’t find an element of corruption or money laundering after two years of investigation,” he says.

The ED told the court last time that Dr. Isaac was in the know of ‘discrepancies’ in fund utilisation. “Every month, fund utilisation statement is sent to the Reserve Bank of India and they never asked any questions,” Dr. Isaac affirms.

As chairman of the KIIFB executive committee, he was not in the purview of deciding utilisation of fungible funds. “It means the ED is either lying or has fabricated some statement in the name of KIIFB officials. I’m requesting the court to get these affidavits and verify them. I’m going to fight till the very end,” he says.

Federal India

A third term for the BJP at the Centre, he says, will spell the end of federal India “as they don’t think diversity can contribute to meaningful national identity”. They are steadily shifting things to the Concurrent List besides using Governors to interfere with State administration, he says.

The fiscal space of States is also being emasculated, reducing them to implementing agencies of Central schemes and programmes. ‘‘With their borrowing powers drastically cut, the States will become glorified municipalities,” Dr Isaac adds.

The BJP which managed to poll 29.5% votes in Pathanamthitta in 2019 will be restricted to about 12% to 13% this time as its vote share has steadily fallen ever since, he feels, the reason being the return of the Congress and Left voters who favoured the BJP then.

Rubber oligopolies

Dr. Isaac argues that the Left gained considerable traction within the Christian community with the entry of the Kerala Congress (M) into its fold. The emergence of an ecumenical spirit among various Christian denominations is evident and the fall in the price of rubber nudged the rubber growers, in large numbers in the region, to look for an alternative. Dr. Isaac says his development agenda comprises fighting the “monopolistic purchase practice of rubber oligopolies”.

He will expose the collusion between tyre companies that keep domestic rubber prices low .

Full interview: https:// newsth.live/Isaac

T.M. Thomas Isaac