Stopping BJP in poll battle not enough to counter right-wing forces: CPI-M
Kolkata: Stating that only trying to counter the BJP in the electoral battle will not be enough to stop the resurgence of right-wing reactionary forces in the country, CPI-M politburo member Prakash Karat on Wednesday said communists must take a leading role in uniting all secular democratic forces to fight the majority communalism.
Terming Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a well organised fascistic organisation that has been working to influence the people of various sections of the society, Karat said the Left parties must create alternative forces in those social spheres to counter them.
"So far we have tried to focus on determining the electoral tactics to isolate and defeat Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the elections. However, we failed to understand that BJP is just a small part of the RSS activities.
"Five years back, RSS had nearly 40 mass organisations that worked in different sections of the society. We need to be able to counter these forces of the RSS. Stopping just the BJP would not work," Karat said here at a seminar on "Combating dangers of aggressive communalism in India".
"Our challenge at the moment is to counter a well organised power that is using the majority communalism and trying to impose its ideology on the entire nation with an aim to reorganise it as a Hindu state. Unless we can counter their agenda of Hindutva nationalism with our secular democratic progressive values, it would be difficult to stop them," he pointed out.
The former general secretary of CPI-M said the RSS is constantly working to influence the education and cultural sector and a section of intellectuals, while they are also working to consolidate the Dalits and tribal communities in the country by imposing the Hindutva agenda at the grassroot level.
He pointed out that "storm troopers of the RSS" like Bajrang Dal and Hindu Jagaran Mancha are at work in these places.
"The secular and democratic people must transcend the party barriers to fight the majority communalism of BJP and RSS," he added.
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Today's Cong is 'duplicate Congress' led by 'fake Gandhis', claims Union Minister Pralhad Joshi
Hubballi (Karnataka), Dec 23: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Monday alleged that the present Congress party is "duplicate Congress" led by fake "Gandhis" and noted that they were not the inheritors of party that was there during Mahatma Gandhi's time.
He also alleged that government money was being used by the ruling party for the centenary celebrations of the 1924 Indian National Congress session that was presided over by Mahatma Gandhi in Belagavi.
The 39th session of the Indian National Congress held in Belagavi was the only Congress session presided over by Mahatma Gandhi.
The centenary event is scheduled in Belagavi on December 26 and 27.
"Today's Congress party is not the inheritors of the Congress party during Mahatma Gandhi's time. What is there now is a duplicate Congress and fake Gandhis (referring to Sonia and Rahul Gandhi)," Joshi said.
Speaking to reporters here, he alleged that thousands of rupees from the government is being spent and decorative light arrangements have been done by Hubballi Electricity Supply Company (HESCOM) in Belagavi for the celebrations. "Entirely government money."
"What is your relationship with Mahatma Gandhi's Congress? Your Congress is a duplicate Congress. Congress has got spoiled after getting split several times. What is there now is a group of thieves. You Gandhis are fake Gandhis. Why is government money spent on fake Gandhis' fake Congress? It has to be immediately stopped and the money spent has to be made public and the Congress party has to pay the money," he said.
Further noting that after getting to know about objections being raised over government money being spent for the event, the Congress is playing a new "drama" by trying to project it as an event of Mahatma Gandhi, who fought for the country's freedom, and started inviting everyone for it, Joshi said and added that "they are trying to give it a new twist, but people are not fools."
"There is a huge difference between this Congress and the then Congress. There is no relation between them. What is there today is a group of thieves, today's Gandhis are fake Gandhis," he added.
The party has decided to hold a meeting of the Congress Working Committee ( CWC) on December 26 in Belagavi and a public meeting on December 27.
Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress chief D K Shivakumar had recently said that as part of the government programme there will be the unveiling of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on December 26 on the premises of Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge.
