Murdering democracy is in BJP’s DNA: Prakash Karat in Tripura

Communist Party of India (Marxist) coordinator Prakash Karat on Wednesday targetted the Centre and the Tripura government, and said that “murdering democracy” is in the of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Raising questions about Tripura’s democracy, Karat said, “The Marxist party and Tripura’s communist movement are moving forward despite facing obstacles and attacks. We want to tell the BJP and its government that the more you attack us, the more we will rise up. You (the BJP government) have denied permission to this opposition party to hold a mass rally. This reflects the state of Tripura’s democracy. The murder of democracy is in the DNA and genes of BJP.”

Karat made the comments while addressing the CPIM’s 24th three-day state conference at Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhawan in Agartala.

He also alleged that attempt was made to end the country’s parliamentary procedures in the 11 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, saying that former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren were arrested and put in jail ahead of Parliamentary polls.

“Attack on oppositions, lodging false cases against them and putting them in jail have become a common thing for the Modi government,” Karat said.

Alleging that the Modi government is hatching conspiracy to change India’s democratic structure, the veteran CPIM leader said the ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill tabled in the Parliament, to hold simultaneous Lok Sabha polls and assembly elections, is aimed at curtailing people’s democratic rights.

“In our Constitution, it was said that the term of an assembly is five years, but through this amendment, they can decide whether an assembly will have a 3-year or 2-year term,” he said.

Karat stressed that the CPIM would fight for protection of democracy, uniting all secular and democratic forces.

“There was no communal riot during the former Left Front regime. But, today, due to the conspiracy of BJP and RSS, communal riots are reported in different places. This is their game plan to increase tension between Hindus and Muslims in the country, to tell Hindus to come together and prevail a Hinduraj. This is very dangerous for our country,” he said.

Raising the issue of ‘income inequality’, the Left leader said, “The CPIM will chalk out a plan for socio-economic and democratic rights of the people, and how to fight against the BJP government both in Tripura and Centre.”

Reacting to Karat’s statement, BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharya said, “Whenever the CPIM is out of power, they are seen speaking about democracy. The people of Tripura have not forgotten the series of murders that happened during the CPIM rule. Democracy is prevailing here and that is why they (CPIM) organised their rally.”