Some parties on defensive over Hindu nationalism: CPI-M

Accusing the BJP of polarising the country over Hindu nationalism, the CPI-M on Wednesday lamented that this had some of the opposition parties in a bind.

"This spurious ultra nationalism has put some of the bourgeois secular parties and forces on the defensive," an editorial in the CPI-M journal "People's Democracy said.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist noted that the BJP national executive meeting of March 19-20 in New Delhi had set the course for heightening the confrontation with the "secular-democratic forces" in the country.

"The BJP will push ahead with its version of aggressive nationalism which is actually Hindu nationalism," the editorial said. "Thus, shouting 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' has become a constitutional obligation, according to the BJP."

It said the Hindutva brigade led by the RSS played no role in the freedom struggle and had no claim over nationalism, except its Hindu communal variant.

The editorial said the shrill "anti-national" rhetoric was meant to divert the attention of the people from the "anti-people and anti-national" aspects of the Narendra Modi government's policies.

"The other impetus for the heightened Hindu nationalist posture is to create and deepen communal polarisation.

"This is being done keeping in mind the forthcoming assembly elections in five states and, more importantly, for the BJP, the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections due early next year."

The CPI-M noted that "this spurious ultra nationalism has put some of the bourgeois secular parties and forces on the defensive".

It said it was shocking that the Maharashtra assembly suspended an MIM legislator for refusing to raise the slogan "Bharat Mata ki Jai".

"It is highly deplorable that the Congress and the NCP legislators voted for the MIM legislator's suspension along with the BJP and the Shiv Sena.

"Similarly, in the Madhya Pradesh assembly, the resolution to censure (MIM leader Asaduddin) Owaisi for his refusal to raise the slogan was moved by a Congress legislator. This was backed by the BJP and unanimously adopted.

"In Uttar Pradesh, neither the Samajwadi Party nor the BSP have come out against the BJP's campaign to brand anti-Hindutva forces as anti-national.

"The secular, non-Left parties should realise that they cannot politically counter the BJP by evading such issues," the editorial added.