Days after a section of the CPI(M) criticized Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra for spending 18 days in Left-ruled Kerala and just two days in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Friday said Rahul Gandhi-led Yatra and its schedule were Congress’ internal affair and need of the hour was the united effort of secular –democratic parties to prevent the Hindutva agenda of the ruling BJP.
He also said that all these parties have to unite at the national level while focusing on the local level differently.
“It is Congress party’s internal affair. It is for the Congress party to decide the scheduling of their Yatra. I t is the time for the united effort by all secular, democratic parties to prevent the communalism and rise of Hindutva agenda by ruling BJP,” said Yechury, avoiding a volley of questions of CPI(M)’s Tweet against Rahul’s Yatra.
“All the parties (secular, democratic) have to unite at the national level to prevent the rise of communalism, though differences in the local level, he added. Yechury was addressing the media here after the two-day-long polit bureau meeting.
“The polit bureau decided that the party will work to develop its independent strength, strengthen Left unity and forge unity of Left and Democratic forces. The CPI(M) shall join the efforts to bring together secular democratic parties in defence of the Indian Constitution; democracy; democratic rights and civil liberties of the people and safeguarding the secular democratic character of the Indian republic,” said the CPI(M) in a statement.
Yechury said that the PB meeting decided on an all-India campaign from September 14-24 against the burdens being imposed on people’s livelihood and to safeguard democracy, democratic rights, secularism and the Indian Constitution will be observed through various forms all across the country and will culminate in state-level public meetings and rallies. Polit bureau demanded that tax concessions to the rich and mega loan waivers to cronies be stopped forthwith and to deploy these resources to hike public investments in job generating works.