Back anti-BJP, BJD combine — CPM

BHUBANESWAR, AUG 1: Politburo member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Biman Basu, on Saturday called upon the party cadres to s...

BHUBANESWAR, AUG 1: Politburo member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Biman Basu, on Saturday called upon the party cadres to support political forces who would be able to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party-Biju Janata Dal combine in the coming Lok Sabha election.

Addressing a conference of party cadres, here, Basu said the BJP was making serious efforts to regain power at the Centre with the help of capitalist forces. Return of the BJP is not only a danger to the democracy and national integrity but to the security of the nation, he cautioned.

He also cautioned the party cadres not to cast their votes to some democratic forces which were either supporting or in alliance with the BJP. Extending support to such forces would ultimately help the BJP, he maintained.

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Lambasting the Vajpayee-led government on the Kargil issue, Basu said the BJP was shamelessly claiming a victory over Pakistan when it had failed to protect the country’s boundary from the enemy.

Quoting the August 5, 1998 statementof Defence Minister George Fernandes in Parliament, Basu said the former had said that development had taken place on the Line of Control. Fernandes had assured that Indian forces were fully prepared to face any eventualities. After nearly one year not only intruders but Pakistan Army regulars entered into the Indian territory inflicting heavy causality on the defence personnel.

He alleged that lack of coordination among Prime Minister’s Office, Home Ministry and the Defence Ministry was responsible for the Kargil war. He further alleged that the Home Ministry headed by L K Advani was functioning under the pressure of the Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

On the economic policy, Basu said that the BJP accelerated the economic reforms which was started by the Congress. The huge budget deficit was due to the faulty policy adopted by the BJP led government, he added.