The LDF government should come to power in Kerala for the protection of the constitutional rights of the State, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said here on Friday.
Interacting with mediapersons, Mr. Yechury said the BJP government had been misusing its machinery to destabilise non-BJP governments in the country. “The BJP is wielding the trishul (trident) against its political enemies. The first spear of the trident is money power, which it uses to reverse people's verdicts by buying elected representatives. We have seen it in many States. The second spear is the central investigating agencies like the CBI, for making bogus cases against those who refuse to succumb to its money power. The third is the Enforcement Directorate (ED), to harass and destabilise elected governments,” he said.
Condemns EC
Condemning the Election Commission’s decision to postpone the polls to the Rajya Sabha seats from Kerala following recommendation from the Union Law Ministry, Mr. Yechury said the Centre had even been manipulating the EC.
“In the last five years, the Centre has been hostile towards the non-BJP governments. The hostility has been particularly sharp towards Kerala, where even the disaster assessment after the floods were not done properly. The State was not allowed to take foreign assistance for flood relief missions. But the LDF government withstood all this,” he said.
Mr. Yechury said a pro-Left climate is prevailing in the State. People want to break the chain of alternative governments. Their positive assessment is due to the good governance, welfare measures and pro-people policies of the LDF. They have seen the strong stand taken by the LDF government in the issue of CAA, farmers’ agitation and privatisation of public sector firms. Kerala is the first State to declare a minimum support price for vegetables. It has put forward a pro-people alternative policy, he added.
On Sabarimala issue
Mr. Yechury made it clear that there was no conflicting stand between the central and State leadership of the CPI(M) in the Sabarimala issue. “Sabarimala is a non-issue now. It is under consideration of a larger Supreme Court bench. Let the court come up with its verdict. Even the Chief Minister said that a decision can be reached post discussion with the people only after the court pronounces its verdict,” he said.
The Sabarimala controversy has been created with a malicious agenda to divide people for political gain. People who don’t have anything else to say are creating such controversies. They want to divert attention from key issues, he pointed out.
Responding to a comment by senior Congress leader A.K. Antony that a second term for the LDF would be disastrous for the State and for the party, Mr. Yechury said the former did not know about the functioning of the CPI(M).
