DYFI rally in Kolkata: TMC, BJP misleading people with communal politics: CPI(M)’s Salim

Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s state general secretary Mohammed Salim criticised the ruling TMC in West Bengal and the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, accusing them of “neglecting” livelihood issues and “misleading” people with communal politics and corrupt practices. Salim made the remarks at the ‘Insaf Rally’ organsied by the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) – his party's youth wing – at Kolkata's Brigade Ground Sunday. The rally, which marked one of the biggest political events organised by the DYFI in years, was held to garner the support of the youths of West Bengal ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Minakshi Mukherjee, AA Rahim and Himagnaraj Bhattacharya were among the DYFI leaders who addressed the rally. Salim alleged, “Those who once attempted to stoke nationalist sentiments in the name of Pakistan and the Pulwama attacks (before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls) are now sowing the seeds of division among the masses based on religion, caste, and creed. The BJP government at the Centre prioritised big corporate houses at the expense of the livelihoods of the common people.” He also accused the TMC of having a “tacit understanding with the BJP” to shield its leaders from the central investigation agencies. “The corrupt TMC can never genuinely confront the BJP. It has a clandestine understanding with the BJP to shield its leaders from the scrutiny of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED),” he said. “The corruption in TMC has increased after 2014 when the BJP came to power at the Centre. Chowkidar agar chor hai to pakadega kaun? (If the watchman is a thief then who will arrest?)” he added. Targeting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, who is also a TMC MP, Salim said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not invite Congress president Sonia Gandhi for the G20 dinner (in Delhi) but sent an invitation to Mamata Banerjee. She never went to the Planning Commission meeting but attended the G20 dinner at Delhi. Mamata Banerjee is desperately trying to save her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, her brothers and other relatives.” Incidentally, he skipped any mention of the INDIA bloc, of which both TMC and the CPI(M) are a part of. Talking about the absence of any mention of the India bloc during the rally, a senior CPI(M) leader said, “It's too early to say anything about the future of India bloc, that is why we organised the rally under the banner of our youth organisation. We do not want to say anything about the party’s political understanding at the national level at rally to boost outreach.” DYFI state secretary Minakshi Mukherjee said, "We are fighting a fight where no one asks about religion, language or caste. We will fight for the right to food, jobs and honesty.” She also read out a message from former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who was also DYFI's first state secretary. “We met Buddha Babu yesterday and returned with his fighting spirit. He told us: “Jekhane daak pore jibon moron jhore, amra prostut” (Whenever the call of death comes, we will be ready). That is our motto for this fight,” she said. DYFI's All India president AA Rahim said unemployment and corruption are the true challenges confronting the country. “A shocking 23.5 per cent of Indian youth are trapped in the depths of joblessness,” he said. The organisation’s all-India general secretary Himagnaraj Bhattacharya said, “Only Leftists are fighting against communal forces and the corrupt government of West Bengal.” – With PTI inputs