CPI(M) Polit Bureau Member Brinda Karat described the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as two sides of the same ‘counterfeit coin’, which were out to deceive the people with false promises.
A meeting was organised by the Visakhapatnam District Committee of CPI(M) here on Wednesday in connection with the centenary celebrations of former chief minister of West Bengal Jyoti Basu. Addressing the large gathering, she said the meeting was being held to remember the legacy of ‘one of the greatest sons of India’, who had fought for the Red Flag for 75 years to uphold the rights of workers and downtrodden sections of society.
Ms. Karat recalled that Basu was born in a privileged and rich family but had turned his back on the riches and spent his life working for the poor. Ridiculing the stark contrast in politics and leadership in the country today, she said: “In Gujarat, Modi says he was born in a tea-sellers family but had spent all his life working for the rich. The issue is not in which class or caste you are born but for whose welfare you work.”
Saluting the contract workers of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), Ms. Karat said: “You work for 10, 15, 20 years to keep the city clean but are deprived of your basic rights.” Both the Congress and BJP have no place for workers, their leaders, their symbols and flags are different but they are both protecting interests of corporates, she said.
Referring to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, Ms. Karat said the ‘shameless UPA government’ had divided the state to get some votes. On the package for Seemandhra, she wondered: “Where is the package”? Is it in Mr. Venkaiah Naidu’s pocket? The only package seen in Delhi was the hypocrisy of the Congress and the BJP.
Ms. Karat said that the CPI(M) was the only national party that stood for the unity of Andhra Pradesh.
She called upon the gathering to support the CPI(M) and other like minded parties to achieve Jyoti Basu’s dream of providing an alternative government which could work for the rights of the oppressed sections. CPI(M) leaders Ch. Narasinga Rao, K. Lokanadham and Ganga Rao spoke.
