Speaking at a programme to celebrate the 102nd birth anniversary of Jyoti Basu in Kokata on Wednesday evening, the CPM all India general secretary, Sitaram Yechury lashed out at the BJP-Trinamool Congress secret understanding and described it as a case of “match fixing.” The CPM leader said that he was not surprised to see the BJP national president telling its party functionaries in West Bengal yesterday that 2019 Lok Sabha poll is the focus year for the BJP party in West Bengal and not the 2016 state assembly polls.
Even though they are trying at damage control now, the “match fixing” has been exposed, he said. It is clear now that the BJP government at the Centre would not pursue the Saradha scam vigorously. It would want the state government to continue in power and in return the BJP needs the TMC support in Rajya Sabha. “The match fixing is very evident. Minority fundamentalism in the state and the majority fundamentalism at the Centre feed on each other,” Yechury added.
In a rare gesture and departure from the party’s conventions, the Jyoti Basu birth centenary celebration committee had invited expelled party comrade and former Lok Sabha Speaker, Somnath Chatterjee to share the dais with Sitaram Yechury today evening. Chatterjee accepted the invitation and turned up at the function.
The former Lok Sabha Speker said “media is writing lot of things about Somnath Chatterjee and Sitaram Yechury sharing a same stage. “Misunderstanding does happen,” said Chatterjee “but that is not relevant today. “In all my actions I have followed the words of my leader – Jyoti Basu who said when I was elected as the Speaker that I should try and uphold the tradition of parliamentary democracy. And he said that only a communist can do that. I have tried to do that all my life,” said Chatterjee. He said that fundamental rights, people’s rights are being eroded everyday in West Bengal now. There is need for sustained struggle to restore those rights.
A large number of Left splinter group leaders were invited in today’s meeting apart from the constituents of the Left front. Many of them are breakaway former Left leaders like Samir Putatunda, Asim Chatterjee and even Kasi Kanta Moitra who was in the first United front Government in West Bengal in 1967 in which Jyoti Basu was the deputy chief minister. Moitra then represented Sanjukta Socialist Party (SSP) but later in 1972 joined the Congress ministry.
Pointing at all the leaders, Sitaram Yechury said that all secular and democratic forces would have to unite to restore the democratic rights of the people. In India secularism and democracy can’t be separated. The two are synonymous, said Yechury and added that the people’s struggle has to be fought together, unitedly. “It is a pity that Kolkata is being accused as a “rape capital” now. Yechury picked up a Bengali slogan from Somnath Chatterjee’s speech and repeated “Protibader Bhasa aar Protirodher agun” (The language of protest and the fire of resistance) is what the left cadres should now follow.
He alleged that so much corruption is being exposed everyday with the BJP government but not one word is heard from the Prime Minister of the ruling party.
Even though they are trying at damage control now, the “match fixing” has been exposed, said Yechury.
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