CPI (M) Leaders Accuse BJP of Eroding Democracy Over 11 Years

Agartala, Jan 29 (NationPress) Senior CPI-M leaders in Tripura asserted on Wednesday that the BJP-led government under Narendra Modi has, over its 11-year tenure, undermined democracy in the nation, alleging that the ruling party primarily serves the interests of the affluent.

During a public rally, CPI-M politburo member Prakash Karat emphasized that throughout the past eleven years, citizens have observed the erosion of democratic values and the detention of key opposition figures.

"In the lead-up to the Lok Sabha elections, Delhi’s former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren were imprisoned to silence their dissent," he informed the assembly.

Karat further claimed that it is within the DNA of the BJP to extinguish democracy while its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, aims to establish a 'Hindu Rashtra'.

On criticizing the 'One Nation, One Election' Bill, Karat mentioned that this proposed measure would restrict the democratic freedoms of people across various states.

The CPI-M leader remarked that during the tenure of the Left Front, there was no communal discord; however, such conflicts have become frequent in Tripura under the current regime, leading to a disparity where the wealth of the rich has surged while the poor have become poorer.

This public assembly was organized in relation to the upcoming three-day (January 29 to 31) 24th state conference of the CPI-M.

Former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar noted that the Congress-led government faced defeat due to harsh undemocratic actions, paving the way for the CPI-M-led Left Front to secure power in Tripura, winning 56 out of 60 assembly seats.

Sarkar, also a member of the CPI-M politburo, indicated that some honest BJP leaders are already disillusioned with the governance of their party in the state.

"Veteran and dedicated BJP members are now being marginalized. Those who worked diligently for the party are now facing attacks from BJP affiliates without support from the state administration," he pointed out.

Sarkar highlighted the unfulfilled commitments made by BJP leaders during the 2018 assembly election campaign, such as increasing the workdays under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to 200 and raising daily wages to ₹340.

He also accused the current BJP government in Tripura of extensive corruption and lawlessness.

CPI-M Tripura state Secretary Jitendra Chaudhury claimed that the state's economy has deteriorated under a corrupt and autocratic BJP administration, benefiting only a select few through corrupt practices.

He urged party members to make every effort to remove the BJP-led government, asserting that the days of the current administration are numbered, and the countdown has already commenced.

The 24th state conference of the CPI-M will be held prior to the Left party's 24th Congress, scheduled for April 2 to 6 in Madurai.

Since the BJP took control in Tripura in 2018, this 24th CPI-M state conference marks the second large-scale conference in the state.

The party leader mentioned that during this conference, the Left will finalize the roadmap for future strategies and programs to spotlight the misgovernance of the ruling BJP and address various fundamental issues faced by the populace.

The CPI-M-led Left Front governed Tripura for 35 years in two phases—1978 to 1988 and 1993 to 2018.

The Left parties experienced a significant defeat in the 2018 and 2023 assembly elections, resulting in the coalition of BJP and the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) taking control in Tripura.