Expressing concern over growing communal incidents in different parts of the country, CPI(M) on Friday asked the government to be alert during the upcoming festive season and take all steps to “nip the mischief in the bud” wherever it occurred.
Terming the Muzaffarnagar incidents as “a warning bell”, the party said every effort should be made to isolate the communal outfits to whichever community they belong.
“There must be a united effort by democratic, secular and Left parties to expose the designs of the RSS-BJP combine,” senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said in an editorial in the latest issue of party organ ‘People’s Democracy’.
Asking the Centre and state administrations to be “alert to take precautionary measures and nip the mischief in the bud wherever it occurs,” he said while the failure of the Uttar Pradesh administration has to be pinpointed for Muzaffarnagar violence, “the overall design and the political game-plan of the RSS-BJP combine should not be overlooked.”
He said four BJP MLAs have been charged with inciting the people, with one of them accused of uploading a fake video, which was actually shot in Pakistan, purporting to show Muslims killing Hindus.
Observing that RSS was “directing” BJP for the 2014 polls, he said this was clear from the September 8-9 conclave of RSS and its frontal outfits in Delhi to work out the strategy for these polls. The meeting was attended by all BJP leaders including Rajnath Singh, L.K. Advani and Narendra Modi.
“As per the RSS directive, BJP is set to announce Mr. Modi as its prime ministerial candidate,” Mr. Yechury said.
Maintaining that there was a “notable rise” in communal incidents in different parts of the country in the last few months, he referred to those in Kisthwar in Jammu, Nawada and Bettiah in Bihar where the RSS-BJP was “the aggressive party.”
“In fact in Bettiah and Nawada, reports have appeared that slogans were shouted in favour of Mr. Modi by the mob which turned violent,” Mr. Yechury said, adding that BJP deputed Amit Shah, Mr. Modi’s “right hand man”, to oversee party affairs in UP.
Shah began with a visit to the makeshift Ram temple at Ayodhya and has “since assiduously worked to project the Hindutva agenda,” the CPI(M) leader said.
Observing that the RSS and its outfits have been systematically working to raise communally sensitive issues and creating tension, Mr. Yechury said it has deployed “its resources towards creating communal polarisation which would benefit BJP in Lok Sabha elections of 2014.
“The riots in Muzaffarnagar will be utilised to win over the jats to the BJP camp,” he said.
Maintaining that the UP administration was “certainly lax” in dealing with the situation in Muzaffarnagar, he said after the initial incident on August 27, “a full ten days was given for the communal elements to exploit the situation.”
“Jat Khap panchayats were held and the Mahapanchayat on September 7 was utilised to inflame passions and riots broke out subsequently,” Mr. Yechury added.
