Lalit Modi case will disrupt parliament: Yechury

Disruptions are expected in the upcoming monsoon session of parliament as major opposition parties appear united over the Lalit Modi issue, CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury said on Wednesday.

"Since all the major opposition parties have come out against the Lalit Modi issue, there is going to be uproar on the issue in the session coming ahead," Yechury said during an interaction with journalists at the Indian Women's Press Corps.

"After all, the present finance minister (Arun Jaitley) had said disruptions are a democratic method for opposition," he said.

"There should be thorough inquiry in all these allegations. Unless the inquiry is over, they must not be holding public offices," Yechury said in an oblique reference to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, who are alleged to have helped Lalit Modi.

"In similar cases in the UPA, they (BJP) said 'investigate and take action'... This case should be investigated. What compromises were made should be known," he said.

The Left leader said the way the government has been surpassing parliament in legislative business was a very big threat.

"It is a very big threat... they are depriving the lawmakers of their work," Yechury said.

He said it indicated towards the "authoritarian tendencies" of the government.

"The majority in the Lok Sabha is on the basis of 31 percent vote share. The way they (BJP) are surpassing the Rajya Sabha... never happened before," he said.

The Left leader also accused the government of patronising communal polarisation.

"There is a state patronage to communal polarisation. People of RSS affiliation are being appointed in prominent posts... There is an attempt to replace history with mythology," he said.

"Where is the law of the land? What is being done is very dangerous," he said.

Asked for a comparison of the present NDA government with the previous one under Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he said: "The difference is the Vajpayee government was in minority. So because of the pressure, they had to at least publicly put the Hindutva agenda on the back burner. Today, the government has no compulsions, they are free," he said.

Asked about the road ahead for his party, Yechury said he was working on strengthening the party organisation.

"We need to strengthen the internal organisation of the party... The priority is to remove the weaknesses within," he said. "In the coming 3-4 months, we will focus on making the organisation strong."

Asked if any alliances with anti-BJP parties was ahead, he said: "Alliances will not yield results. We need to strengthen the party first."

Yechury took over as the CPI-M general secretary from Prakash Karat. The party is now at its historic low with just nine members in the Lok Sabha.