CPI(M) interim co-ordinator and Politburo member Prakash Karat on Thursday slammed the Congress leadership in Kerala for “playing cheap politics” and praised the LDF government for implementing alternative policies against the “neo-liberal” agenda of the BJP-led Centre.
After inaugurating the delegates conference on the first day of the CPI(M)’s state conference in Kollam, the veteran CPI(M) leader hit out at opposition leader VD Satheesan for alleging that the Left in Kerala was going soft on the BJP-RSS.
“In the Hyderabad congress resolution in 2018, we said that there are emerging fascistic trends in the country. Now, we have said that in the last 11 years, the Modi government with its aggressive pursuit of Hindutva and neo-liberal policies is displaying neo-fascist characteristics. We have used the term neo-fascist for the first time in our political resolution. The Congress in Kerala is playing cheap politics. We don’t need certificates from the Congress leadership here on how to fight the BJP and RSS,” said Karat.
The Politburo member said that the setback for the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections where it fell short of a simple majority in the lower House was a gain for secular and democratic forces.
“They (BJP) thought they would get a brute majority to change the constitution as per RSS agenda. To that extent, this setback for BJP is a gain for secular and democratic forces. Most of the secular opposition parties were able to put up a united fight to a large extent. But even after that when the third term of the Modi government began, in the last 9 months, there has been no let-up in the drive to implement their agenda,” Karat said.
About the LDF government, Karat said the Pinarayi Vijayan-led administration has set a record in pursuing alternative policies against the Modi government.
“The state conference in Kollam will be looked upon with great interest by all Left and democratic forces in the country. They recognise that a strong CPM government in Kerala is essential for overall fight for secularism and federalism,” said Karat.
Satheesan declined the invitation of Karat to read the CPM party resolution, calling the document “opportunistic”.
“Karat is criticising the Congress to hide the shame that the decades-long secret alliance between CPM and BJP in Kerala is now out in public. Congress is the principal rival of the BJP in the country. By coming to Kerala and criticising the Congress, Karat, like Pinarayi Vijayan, is also trying to get into the good books of the Sangh Parivar leadership,” Satheesan said.