Modi dispensation intolerant towards non-BJP govts: CPI leader

Left parties feel that the Narendra Modi dispensation is "intolerant" towards non-BJP governments, a top Communist Party of India leader said today, citing examples of Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
"Intolerance towards non-BJP governments and misuse of Raj Bhavans and Governor's posts for political purposes have become practice of BJP-led government," CPI General Secretary S Sudhakar Reddy said while talking to PTI.
He was giving an assessment of Left Parties on the two-year tenure of the Modi government.
Claiming that the Centre-state relations have gone from bad to worse, he alleged that the federal spirit has totally been "destroyed" under the NDA rule.

"...Misuse of Article 356 and they (BJP-led NDA) are successful in overthrowing the government in Arunachal Pradesh, but got a setback in Uttarakhand, and they are making some attempts of defection in Himachal Pradesh and Manipur," Reddy said.
On the foreign policy front, he said India's relations with Pakistan have not improved, while they are spoilt with Nepal, with the Modi government trying to interfere in the internal affairs of the Himalayan kingdom.

Reddy said exports and industrial growth are down, while growth rate in GDP is only because of the service sector.
"Employment creation is one of the lowest in recent period. BJP promised two crore jobs but in 2014 it was 4 lakh and odd, last year it was 2.5 lakh and this year 1.35 lakh only. So, every year it's getting reduced," he said.

The prices of essential commodities and food grains are high, he said.
There is a sense of "insecurity" among minority communities, he said, adding that "saffronisation" attempts in universities are creating tension and serious concern among democratic forces.
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Yechury said that all 16 opposition parties were on the
same page on demonetisation and its ill effects and have come together keeping aside their political differences.
Asked if his party's decision to walk out of the meeting and press conference was influenced by the presence of Mamata Banerjee, Yechury said, "No. We are not going because of the lack of coordination and consultation. If the TMC was the reason, then we would have stayed away from the protests outside Parliament, where the TMC was also present".

Yechury, however, failed to give a satisfactory reply when asked why his CPI-M was lagging behind the TMC in organising protest against demonetisation, especially after the failure of the party to organise a 12-hour shutdown on the issue on November 28.
He replied, "We have not stopped protesting, it is the media of Bengal which is not reporting.