BJP, RSS not undefeatable: Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday said the BJP and the RSS are not undefeatable and that people of India will win the fight against communalism.

Addressing a public rally of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) here, he said that in the wake of the results of the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, many people expressed the opinion that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are undefeatable. He, however, did not agree with this.

He alleged that in Goa and Manipur, the BJP used undemocratic means to form governments despite clearly being the losers while in Punjab it finished fourth.

He said even in Uttar Pradesh, the share of BJP votes had come down to 39.7 per cent from its 42.3 per cent in 2014. Thus, more than 60 per cent people voted against the BJP.

The CPI-M politburo member said the BJP won by spreading communal hatred, through heavy injection of money and deploying entire central government machinery in the state. Pointing out that the opposition to the right-wing was not united, he remarked 'we should not be led to believe that this victory is here to stay'.

"Even in the entire country in 2014, only 31 per cent voted for BJP which means close to 70 per cent of all voters do not agree with the politics of the BJP. It is more than clear that in the fight against communalism, people of India will win provided they stay together," he said.

He slammed the Congress for not staking claim to forming governments in Goa and Manipur despite winning the largest number of seats. He also cited the examples of Congress leaders joining the BJP in various states.

"Historically there are plenty of instances where the Congress was soft to communalism and thus they have lost their identity. Those who once used to call themselves guardians of secularism are not even a force to reckon with now," said Vijayan.

He went on to remark that the Congress has ceased to exist as political party as PR companies are taking political decisions for them.

He called upon people to be vigilant against the forces which pander to the right-wing.

"History has shown that any political party that goes soft on the right-wing was devoured by the right-wing itself. The Congress has dug its own grave and is no more a credible ally against communalism," he added.

The CPI-M leader urged all democratic and progressive forces to come together to forge people's alliance to defeat communalism and neo-liberalism, saying that the two were bedrock of all injustice, inequality and misery in the society.

CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechuri also underlined the need for unity among the Left and Dalit forces to strengthen people's movement to achieve the goal of social justice.

The public rally was organised to mark the culmination of a 4,200-km-long 'padyatra' (walkathon) by CPI-M Telangana State Secretary T. Veerabhadram across the state to know about people's problems.

Leaders of Left parties, Dalit organisations, students' groups, women's groups and activists addressed the rally.

--IANS

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