Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar today fired a salvo at the Centre and the Jharkhand Government for adopting repressive measures against the poor and the subjugated classes at the same time promoting the capitalists and the business class. Sarkar said that the BJP Governments at the Centre and the State are not only cheating the people but are tearing apart the social harmony in the nation by playing divisive politics.
Sarkar, while addressing a gathering of about 1000 CPI (M) workers at Argora Maidan in Ranchi on Saturday under the banner – ‘Jharkhand Bachao Abiyan’, said that the BJP first promised to bring back black money from offshore during its election manifesto in the year 2014 but it never did that. “On the contrary, they said more black money is inside the country than in foreign accounts. Then they did the most disastrous thing in the history that affected the poor classes the most. Demonetisation affected the poor only, the rich remained unaffected,” said Sarkar.
“But again, they failed. According to official figures about 98 per cent of the old currency notes issued by RBI were deposited back in the banks. So where is the black moneyIJ If a small businessman or a farmer takes loan and defaults the government arrests him but they exempt Rs 11 lakh crore of the rich businessmen. This is BJP’s ‘Naya Bharat’,” he quipped.
Remembering his fight against the Congress Government for decades Sarkar said that the Congress lost the 2014 lok Sabha elections because people no more trusted the party. “It forgot the poor and so the poor forgot it. They remained no more reliable…The BJP is treading the same path. It gave a plethora of promises to people of ‘Acchey Din’ and ‘Naya Bahrat’ but nothing happened. In last three years neither the prices went down, nor were jobs created. In fact the situation got worsened,” he added.
The Tripura CM further said that the BJP thinks that it can fool people but people have understood their conspiracy. “This Government is of frauds, middlemen, cheats. It’s the enemy of poor, farmers, workers, small businessmen, tribals and the downtrodden classes. People will no more tolerate anti-poor policies. The masses are arising for a revolution and we will soon see them uprooting the Government that is just promoting the business class,” said Sarkar, who also told the gathering in detail how a long struggle in Tripura yielded a “people’s Government” securing the rights of the forest dwellers and tribal communities.
Earlier, addressing the gathering CPI (M) Politburo member Brinda Karat said that incumbent Government in Jharkhand was acting like an “RSS Shakha” and trying to make this State an “RSS “Khand”. “You cannot snatch the land of people. Your MlA may vote for you but the people will not let this happen,” she said opposing the Amendments in CNT and SPT Acts.
“We want momentum for Jharkhand. Who would not want thisIJ But, the momentum is being created for the big industrialists not the people of the State. Government has created a land bank of 1 lakh acre GM land where lakhs of poor, tribals, dalits and destitute are residing. How can you give momentum to the State snatching food and shelter from the poor,” she said.
Karat also talked about cultural invasion in the State by the Government. “We came to know that the name of Ranchi College is being proposed as the new SP Mukherjee University. This is sheer cultural invasion. He only gave benefits to the British by Hindu polarisation during the British Rule. Why is the Government naming the University after himIJ Why not the naming it after the martyrs of the State like Birsa Munda, Isdo kanhu and othersIJ” she exclaimed.