Sitaram Yechury slams BJP for its vote bank politics

Communalisation of curriculum, whittling down of democratic Parliamentary procedures and weakening of the Opposition, agrarian distress, and the politics of consolidation of Hindu communal vote bank were among the many milestones of the Modi-led government at the Centre in the last one year, said the CPI(M) general secretary, Sitaram Yechury, here on Sunday.

Speaking about the one-year record of the Modi-led government at a public meeting here on the sidelines of a DYFI conference, Mr. Yechury charged that the consolidation of the Hindu communal vote was the worst vote bank politics played by the BJP and this was manifested in the violence against minorities and language of polarisation through invocation of “love jihad”. According to Mr. Yechury there were sustained attempts to root out the Opposition. “Out of 55 legislations, 50 legislations were approved using the ‘tyranny of the majority’ by-passing the parliamentary standing committees.” The Land Acquisition Bill gained from the agrarian distress and farmers’ suicides that enabled the government to make distress acquisitions on behalf of the corporates, said Mr.Yechury. “Rajya Sabha is going to be the theatre where much of the opposition can be done and the CPI(M)’s role will be to cement this opposition and not allow voices of dissent be trampled,” he said.

Taking a swipe at the Prime Minister for the number of foreign tours in the last one year, he said Mr. Modi was visiting the countries that had denied him visa in the last decade with a vengeance.

Asked what role he envisioned for the Left that has its lowest presence in Parliament, he told

The Hindu that he viewed his responsibility as one to strengthen the people’s movements outside of the Parliament and strengthen parliamentary opposition. “My job really is to make sure that they both work in tandem,” he said.