CPI-M slams Modi government over Pathankot attack

In the wake of the Pathankot terror attack, the CPI-M on Sunday ridiculed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent Pakistan visit and called upon Left parties and organisations to unite against the BJP-led central government.

Addressing an event to mark the 50th foundation day of the party's Bengali mouthpiece Ganashakti, Marxists leaders also launched a scathing attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal and called for its ouster.

"The prime minister used to boast about his 56-inch chest but that has received a massive blow yesterday at Pathankot within days of his Lahore visit," Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said referring to the terror attack at the Pathankot Indian Air Force (IAF) base that left at least seven security personnel dead.

"Modi is claiming that the discussions with Pakistan have resumed. Then why such attacks are still taking place and who is responsible for this," he asked.

Yechury also slammed the central government over claims that all the terrorists were killed on Saturday.

"Even the information shared by the centre was erroneous. They had claimed yesterday that all the terrorists have been killed in the encounter but the terrorists are still there and we have lost precious lives because of that," he said.

Training the gun on the Banerjee government, Yechury said under the Trinamool, Bengal had become the rape capital of the country.

"Known as the cultural capital, today it is now infamous as the rape capital of the country. There is no law and order and criminals enjoy patronisation of the ruling party.

"Only the ouster of the Mamata government can brim back democracy and peace in Bengal. For that everyone needs to unite against it," he said.

Speaking in the same vein, CPI-M state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra too called upon theLeft parties and organisation to unite.

"On one hand we have the BJP government which is spreading the poison of communalism across the country, and on the other we have the Trinamool which has taken Bengal to destruction.

"To fight this, not to only Left parties but to all secular and democratic organisations and individuals have to come together," he said.

Left Front chairman Biman Bose also stressed on the need to connect with the masses.