CPI (M)-BJP engagement vexes Congress

Marxist agenda is to segregate issues as ones affecting minority, majority communities: UDF

The new found engagement between the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leadership and the Sangh Parivar, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, has put the Congress leadership in a fix.

It firmly believes that the new engagement between the two is intended to create a communal divide, with the CPI(M) making “deliberate” attempts to appeal to the minority communities by projecting itself as the only strident opponent that can take on the Sangh Parivar.

The United Democratic Front high-power committee passed a resolution at its Tuesday meeting coming out against the CPI(M)’s “deliberate agenda” segregating issues as ones affecting the minority and majority communities.

The Congress leadership is apparently irked by the CPI(M)’s attempt to engage the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Sangh Parivar on not only periodic violent political clashes but also certain issues such as lighting of lamps, women’s entry to Sabarimala, and physical training on temple grounds.

The CPI(M) ministers have been taking strident positions on this in recent days.

“The CPI(M)’s devious attempt is to ensure that its strident anti-BJP stance is appealing to the minority communities.

“The BJP-CPI(M) clashes are deliberate ones intended to render the UDF irrelevant,” Congress leader and UDF convener P.P. Thankachan said.

The UDF did discuss the issue in detail and even decided to organise a peace conclave in Kannur on September 22.

Cong. at a loss

However, the Congress, being the major stakeholder in the UDF, has not been able to formulate a clear plan of action to tackle the situation.

This is mainly because of the paralysis that has set-in at the top hierarchy of the party owing to the three-way factional tussle.

As a result, the party has not been able to formulate a strategy to address its apprehension.

Fallout in economics

Congress leaders point out that the newfound engagement also has its fallout in economics, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan making it quite plain that the government preferred to break from its past functioning styles of confronting the BJP.

He had said that the LDF government did not want to take a confrontationist stance against the BJP-ruled Centre on several issues, including NITI Aayog and the Central allocation to the State.