CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on April 16THE ghastly killing of Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf while in police custody and in front of the media shows that Uttar Pradesh has become a completely lawless state.The manner in which two men were murdered in the presence of heavy police escort points towards official connivance.

IN 2018, during the previous tenure of the BJP-led government, minister of state for the ministry of human resources development (now renamed education ministry) Satya Pal Singh told parliament, no less, that Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution was “scientifically wrong,” since humans have always existed on earth as humans, and since “nobody saw an ape turn into a man.” He also said school and college curricula should be suitably changed. The minister was lambasted by scientists and in the press, but remained unfazed and repeated similar statements over time.

LAST week, the Karnataka election scene witnessed a significant development with the revolt and resignation of Jagadish Shettar, Laxman Savadi, and several other senior leaders, including two MPs, who joined other parties. Jagadish Shettar, a former BJP CM and six-time MLA, was asked to retire from electoral politics, which he refused, leading to his resignation from the party along with his followers. He has now accepted the Congress' invitation to be their candidate from his constituency, despite his background in the RSS and BJP.

THE BJP and its affiliates in Bihar have turned to their usual strategy of creating communal tensions to polarise people along religious lines, following a setback in Bihar politics and feeling isolated. This is all in preparation for the 2024 parliamentary elections.The central home minister, Amit Shah, has made frequent visits and delivered provocative speeches targeting minorities, emboldening Bihar BJP leaders to make hate speeches on various pretexts.

THE first central executive committee (CEC) meeting of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) after the 13thall India conference at Thiruvananthapuram was held onApril 7-9, in Jaipur. It was well attended, with 86 out of 100 CEC members and three out of three invitees from 23 states being present. A central secretariat meeting was held prior to the CEC on April 7which was attended by 30 out of 34 members.