Is Telangana CM Revanth Reddy Right to Criticize BJP Over SIR and Call for a Fight to Protect Democracy?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Telangana CM criticizes BJP's alleged threat to democracy.
- Calls for unity against what he describes as a 'fascist regime'.
- Accuses BJP of undermining voting rights through SIR.
- Highlights historical collaboration between Congress and CPI in India's freedom struggle.
- Condemns the scrapping of the MGNREGP.
Hyderabad, Jan 18 (NationPress) Telangana's Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy launched a scathing attack on the BJP on Sunday, charging that the party threatens both democracy and the Constitution.
During a public assembly organized by the Communist Party of India (CPI) in Khammam, commemorating its centenary, he accused the BJP of attempting to undermine the voting rights of the impoverished under the guise of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), alleging that the saffron party is plotting to maintain its grip on power indefinitely.
The Chief Minister drew a parallel between the BJP's actions and the historical threats posed by the British.
Highlighting the pivotal roles of the 140-year-old Congress party and the century-old CPI in India's freedom movement, he urged for a collective struggle against what he termed the 'fascist BJP regime' at the national level to defend democracy and the Constitution.
He further claimed that the BJP is making covert attempts to alter the Constitution after their failure to secure 400 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.
The Congress leader insisted that the BJP aims to strip the poor of their voting rights in the name of SIR, emphasizing that while Golwalkar opposed voting rights for the underprivileged, B.R. Ambedkar championed equal voting rights for all.
“The BJP is now misusing SIR to rob the poor of their voting rights. Those who have lived and grown up in this nation are being denied their right to vote,” he stated, warning that the impoverished may lose their ration cards along with benefits from various government programs.
The Chief Minister also criticized the Modi government for abolishing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (MGNREGP), a program established by the Congress and CPI, which he claimed had significantly reduced worker migration by guaranteeing employment in their home villages.
He recounted the collaborative efforts of the Congress and Communists in securing India's independence, stating that while the Communists advocated for land rights, Congress enacted the necessary legislation.
He paid homage to the comrades who pledged to sacrifice their lives in the struggle for the rights of the disadvantaged rather than forsake their ideals. He also remembered the Communists' advocacy for farmers, agricultural laborers, Dalits, and tribal communities, asserting their fight for a minimum support price for farmers.