The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has expressed concern over growing inequalities in the country ever since the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government took over the reins at the Centre.
The party alleged that one % of the super rich in the country controlled 58% of wealth. “The super rich had control over 48% of wealth during the previous UPA regime. “There is 10% increase in the wealth controlled by the super rich since the Modi government took over,” CPI (M) polit bureau member Brinda Karat told reporters here on Friday, adding marginalised communities were further marginalised under the “Hindutva regime”.
Citing the report of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, she said bad loans (non-performing assets) which were 2.6 lakh crore when the BJP government took over increased to 6.8 lakh crore as on September last year. The number could be much higher if the latest figures were taken into consideration and 70% of these NPAs were by the big corporates. The government, however, restructured ₹70,000 crore loan taken by a corporate and provided more loans to it to repay its bad debts. “The same government is not inclined to waive farmers’ debts across the country which amounted to ₹75,000 crore on the pretext that such waiver would set a bad trend. This indicated the priorities of the NDA regime,” she said.
In addition, the country was witnessing “shameful spectacle” of “goondagardi” under the patronage of the BJP government in the name of cow protection. Muslims and Dalits were being targeted in the name of cow protection as was evident from the incident at Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh where houses of Dalits were burnt. “Not a single official visited the affected families so far,” she lamented.
To a question, she said the CPI (M) was against triple talaq and was in favour of abolition of the instant and arbitrary practice. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board, she said, had taken a highly retrograde position on the triple talaq which was not practised anywhere except in India. “The only way out is putting an end to the obnoxious practice,” she said.
On the Kashmir issue, she blamed the NDA government at the Centre and the ruling PDP-BJP coalition for failing to provide political solution to the vexatious issue. “The government’s inaction in finding out a political solution will strengthen the forces inimical to the country,” she said. Favouring the VVPAT (voter verifiable paper audit trail) mooted by the Election Commission of India, she, however, said the CPI (M) was against one time election to Parliament and Assemblies as it would deny the people their democratic right.
