Left parties compelled to protest against CAA, NRC, NPR: CPI

: The Left parties have been compelled to call for a week-long nationwide protest against NRC, CAA and NPR from January 1 as the constitution, democracy, unity and integrity of the country are under attack, Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary D Raja said on Friday.

The Left parties had on Thursday announced in a joint statement that they would protest against the National Register of Citizens, Citizenship Amendment Act and National Population Register.

"The constitution, democracy, unity and integrity of the country are under attack compelling the Left parties to take up the campaign. We want to bring together all the secular and democratic forces to fight the BJP-RSS combine to save India and to save constitution and democracy," Raja said at a press conference at the party headquarters.

The CPI leader said his party has also decided to extend its solidarity with the trade unions and Kisan organisations, which have given a call for a countrywide strike and Gramin Bandh on January 8.

According to Raja, the objective behind the campaign is to expose the wrongdoings of the government on the issue of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR).

The campaign also aims at opposing the alleged retrograde and anti-people economic policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi- led BJP government at the Centre, he said.

The CPI general secretary alleged that the BJP and RSS have divisive, communal and sinister designs to polarise India.

"Home Minister Amit Shah speaks about the 'Tukde- Tukde gang' but the real Tukde-Tukde gang is BJP/RSS combine," he added.

Raja flayed the Centre for it poor economic policies resulting in recession in the country, unemployment, under- employment and the growing non-performing assets.

He slammed the Centre for its divestment policies and inviting foreign direct investment in the strategic sectors such as defence and telecom.

"Modi failed in economy. When people question him, he diverts their attention by polarising them," Raja alleged.

The CPI leader flayed the attack on the party head office two days ago when the miscreants allegedly set some motorcycles near its state headquarters afire.

Condemning the alleged attack on the CPI office, Raja demanded that Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa should bring the vandals to book.

He asserted that the BJP-RSS cannot terrorise the CPI by attacking its office.

"We were part of the Indian freedom movement and did supreme sacrifice. If we can defeat the British Raj, we can defeat the BJP Raj too. It is only a matter of time," he added.

The Communist leader said the BJP has started paying the price of its divisive politics when the party could not form its government in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

"Modi and Shah should read the writing on the wall.

People will not tolerate the subversion of constitution and communal politics," he added.