BJP should be voted out to protect the Constitution: D. Raja

Supreme sacrifices were made to gain freedom from colonialism, he says, goes on to add that India needs liberation from BJP-RSS raj, which if continues there will be no democracy

CPI general secretary D. Raja addressing an election metting at Peroorkada in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. | Photo Credit: S. MAHINSHA

Terming the upcoming Lok Sabha election the most critical election in the history of the country, Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary D. Raja has said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has to be removed to protect the Constitution and to retain its character as a secular and democratic republic.

He was addressing a convention at Peroorkada here on Monday for Pannian Raveendran, the Left Democratic Front’s candidate for Thiruvananthapuram.

“Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Kerala that we have been witnessing just a trailer for the past ten years of their rule and the full movie is on the way. Attempts are being made to turn this secular, democratic republic into a theocratic nation. Ambedkar had said that it will be a calamity if the country turns into a theocratic nation. For the last ten years, we have been going through such a calamity. We made supreme sacrifices to gain freedom from colonialism. Now we have to liberate India from the BJP-RSS raj. If they continue, there will be no democracy,” said Mr. Raja.

Touching upon the BJP’s manifesto, he said that the document identifies youth, women, farmers and the poorer sections of the population for special attention, however in the past ten years, the conditions of all these sections have worsened.

“In 2014, Mr. Modi had promised 2 crore jobs every year. He should have created 20 crore jobs in ten years by that promise. But, now unemployment is the most burning issue in the country. Our youth are so desperate for jobs that they are going to war-torn countries for jobs and getting killed there. Modi claims to have lifted crores of people out of poverty, but India ranks 111 out of 125 countries in the Global Hunger Index. Nearly 700 farmers have died during protests. The BJP’s slogan says ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’, but the development is only for Adani, Ambani and other big businesses,” he said.

Rejecting the idea of ‘soft Hindutva’, Mr. Raja said that Communism has no place for soft Hindutva.

“Only Congress dabbles in soft Hindutva. So many people are shifting from Congress to BJP? What is your ideological and political commitment? Communist movement never compromised with communal, fundamental forces,” he said.

MLAs slam Tharoor

Other speakers at the convention including Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] MLAs Kadakampally Surendran and V.K. Prasanth lashed out at United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate and sitting MP Shashi Tharoor for alleged disparaging remarks against Pannian Raveendran.

“Mr. Tharoor seems to imply that the competition is between crorepatis – him and Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and someone from a lower economic background has no business competing with them. Mr. Raveendran has spent decades on the ground working for the people. What has Mr. Tharoor contributed to Thiruvananthapuram in his three terms in the Parliament?” asked Mr. Surendran.