'Modi as PM will spread Guj's autocracy to rest of country'

A group of activists today joined hands to campaign against BJP and Narendra Modi, saying if elected to power they will spread "Gujarat's autocracy" to the rest of the country, hampering its democratic and secular image.
The activists also accused BJP and RSS of aiming to turn the country into a "fascist state" and said that they will launch a national campaign to defeat them.
"RSS wants an end to the country's democracy. Its weapon is BJP and Modi is its face. If BJP is brought in power, casteism, communalism, capitalism and fascism will be promoted and India's status of a democratic and secular state will be taken away," Ram Puniyani, Secretary of All India Secular Forum, alleged.

He was speaking at a function here today where some activists announced the formation of JAVAB (Janvadi Vichar Andolan, Bharat).
Speaking to reporters, social activist Shabnam Hashmi said they are against the ideology of RSS and BJP and not just Modi in particular.
"We will hold meetings with various political parties and pressurise them to form secular alliances to brush away the fascist and communal ideology. We will make sure Modi doesn't come to power," she said.

The group accused Modi of controlling Gujarat's corporate media and alleged that issues concerning poor and backward classes remain unreported.
The activists said that 60-70 constituencies will be targeted by them where existing secular parties lost elections with narrow margin and they will campaign to support such parties.

"We will support any political party and any party member who believes in secularism. A message needs to be spread in the country to make people aware of the real face of BJP and Modi," they said.