The CPI(M) on Wednesday termed the BJP’s ongoing agitation against “Left-sponsored violence” in Kerala as a quintessential diversionary tactic of communal polarisation to shift the focus from the substantive issue of economic slowdown.

On a specific mention of the high-profile Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath protesting against the Kerala government, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said: “We in Kerala, which has the best all-India ranking on all human development indices, do not have to learn from the likes of Yogi Adityanath.

“He should take care of Uttar Pradesh, where children are dying in hospitals due to lack of oxygen. He could learn a few things from the Kerala government just by visiting our hospitals.”

Yechury, who addressed a press conference along with Politburo members Brinda Karat and MA Baby at the CPI(M) headquarters here after the BJP workers had staged a demonstration outside, described the BJP’s ongoing protests as a strategy to intimidate the Left.

Protest on Oct 9

The Left, the leaders pointed out, has been raising questions about policies such as demonetisation and chaotic implementation of GST.

Stressing that it is the BJP that is responsible for sparking a cycle of political violence in Kerala, Yechury said he “accepts their challenge” and announced a nationwide protest on October 9 against the Centre’s “anti-poor policies and communal politics”.

The Left will not let the BJP divert attention from critical political and economic issues that have adversely affected farmers, petty traders, small businessmen and the entire working class, he added.

Yechury released a three-page note on incidents of violence provoked by the RSS/BJP in Kerala and accused the Sangh cadre of creating communal tension in an otherwise peaceful State.

“They have gheraoed our party headquarters. It is a free country and we welcome any political challenge. But besides the fact that it is highly unusual to attack party offices in a democracy, the reasons for their sudden interest in West Bengal and Kerala are two-fold — one that they want to create communal tensions in these two States and shift the blame for their violent activities on the Left.

“The second bigger reason is that they want to divert attention from their incompetent management of economy and disastrous policy decisions,” said Yechury.

He also highlighted the timing of the BJP’s ongoing agitation. “It is not a coincidence that these protests, led by none other than BJP president Amit Shah, are being staged at a time when the Modi government has propelled India towards unprecedented economic distress.

“The figures show that manufacturing growth at 1.2 per cent is the lowest in the last 20 years. Employment has fallen in absolute terms. Because of decisions like demonetisation and bad handling of GST, anger and discontent are rising across the country. In such times, the BJP has resorted to the only politics they know — of communal polarisation and violence,” said the CPI(M) leader.

comment COMMENT NOW