Prakash Karat says ‘murder of democracy’ is in BJP’s DNA, alleges ‘game plan’ to increase Hindu-Muslim tension

Attempts have been made under the 11-year rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to end parliamentary procedures, he said citing the arrests of Arvind Kejriwal and Hemant Soren. “We have seen how leaders of Opposition parties were jailed. Now, in Delhi, an Assembly poll will happen. Then Delhi CM Kejriwal was arrested and put in jail ahead of the parliamentary poll. Prior to this, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, was also arrested and jailed. For the Modi government, attacking the Opposition, lodging fake cases against them and putting them in jail has become a common practice,” he said.

Karat further said that no communal riots were witnessed in Tripura during the Left Front government’s tenure, while such incidents are occurring in different places owing to the conspiracies of the BJP and the RSS.

“This is their game plan to increase tension between Hindus and Muslims in the country. This is very dangerous for the country. Democracy will be in danger as long as the BJP is in power,” he said.

Karat emphasised on uniting all secular and democratic forces to safeguard democracy. He said that a plan would be prepared during the conference to fight for the social, economic and democratic rights of the people and to oppose the saffron party.

He alleged that the Modi government was conspiring to change the structure of the country’s democracy, citing a Bill that proposes simultaneous elections to Parliament and all Assemblies.

“With this amendment, they (the BJP government) can decide that an Assembly poll can have a term of three years or two years,” he said.

CPM politburo member Manik Sarkar, who was chief minister for 20 years, said many promises made for Tripura prior to 2018, when the saffron party first came to power, had remained unfulfilled, citing the promises to increase the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act wages to Rs 200 and minimum wages to Rs 340.

He said the erstwhile Left Front government prioritised the development of common people and the working class. He also talked about the differences within the Opposition INDIA bloc. Some Congress leaders recently suggested that their party might consider contesting elections independently in the future.

Sarkar alleged rampant corruption and a breakdown of law and order in the state—marked by political violence, crimes against women and drug abuse—under the BJP-led government.

He said the massive turnout at Wednesday’s CPM rally was a clear sign of public frustration and anguish, despite attempts by the ruling party to prevent people from participating in it.

Opposition leader and CPM state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury, who was seen sharing the dais with former minister and CPM heavyweight Badal Choudhury, alleged that the BJP had been suffering from public disconnect, citing the denial of permission for rallies and similar events of Opposition parties.

A large number of people attended the gathering, which covered streets from Orient Chowmuhani to the programme venue at RMS Chowmuhani and parts of IGM Chowmuhani, Kaman Chowmuhani, the Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhawan area and beyond.

Alleging that Tripura’s economy has collapsed under the rule of the BJP-IPFT-Tipra Motha alliance, Jitendra Chaudhury termed the government corrupt and autocratic.

Chaudhury urged his comrades to unite, stating that the government’s days were numbered. “The countdown for BJP’s fall has begun,” he said.