ADDRESSING a state-level mass rally at Odisha’s state capital, Bhubaneswar on February 13, the CPI(M) general secretary, Sitaram Yechury called upon the people to rise in unison to defeat the trident attack of the Modi-Shah led BJP government through the CAA-NPR-NRC and save the constitution and the secular democratic Republic. Unless we save the country, we cannot change it for the better, he asserted.

         The rally of the CPI(M), Odisha state committee was attended by thousands of people coming from various centres of the districts of the state and was presided over by Odisha state secretary of CPI(M), Ali Kishor Patnaik.
          Sitaram lauded the people of Delhi for their spectacular victory against the BJP’s money power and toxic hate campaign led by union home minister, Amit Shah and his cohorts. Citing Amit Shah’s most uncivilised call to the Delhi voters to push the EVM buttons so hard that the current reaches Shaheen Bagh, Yechury said that the Delhites’ verdict ensured that Amit Shah receives the current shock for which he has virtually gone underground after BJP’s ignominious defeat. Sitaram urged upon the people to simultaneously carry on the fight against the economic miseries, joblessness, price rise, rural distress etc., harped on them by the Modi government’s pro-corporate policies.
         Congratulating several state governments for their stand against the CAA, NRC and NPR, Sitaram referred his telephonic request to Odisha chief minister, Nabin Patnaik to reject NPR, which is the prelude to the NRC that has already been opposed to by the Odisha government.
         Being nostalgic about his generation’s fight against ‘Emergency’, and for restoration of democracy, he said that a large number of students, youth and women of country are giving us confidence, that the present generation will carry on the struggle steadfastly to defeat the devilish designs of the Modi government to divide and disintegrate India.
         Calling upon the people not to answer any question of NPR and not to show any document asked for under NRC, Sitaram urged upon the Party cadres to launch door to door campaign till March 23, the martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru combined with the campaign projecting the vision of a modern and inclusive India imagined about by Bhagat Singh and his comrades in arm.
         Addressing the rally, the retired DGP(director general of police) Odisha, Amiya Bhusan Tripathy told that though he does not belong to any political party, but as a conscious citizen he opposes the CAA-NPR-NRC as they are thoroughly against the basic tenets of Indian Constitution; the constitution, which debars all forms of discrimination irrespective of religion, caste, creed and culture. Terming him as one of “The midnight children” (being born during days of independence), he lambasted against the abrogation of Article 370 and vivisection of Jammu and Kashmir and called upon all concerned citizens to protest against such wanton attacks on democracy in the name of “Hindutva” which has nothing to do with Hindu religion.”

CPI(M) state secretariat member, Janardan Pati called upon the Party and mass organisation cadres to go to the people with the slogan, “NPR-jawab nahin denge” and “NRC-kagaz nahin dikhayenge. ”
         A call was also given to organise immediate protests against LPG price hike, and against Donald Trump’s visit to India.