SITARAM Yechury, general secretary of CPI(M) has called upon the secular democratic forces and the people of the country to meet the challenges thrown by BJP, the political arm of fascistic RSS. He addressed a seminar presided over by Janardan Pati, member of CPI(M) Odisha state secretariat at Bhubaneswar on July 7, on “Challenges before the country in the post election period.”

While addressing the over packed Institute of Engineers hall, which was  attended by cross sections of  people, Sitaram out lined the four dangers posed  in the country after BJP forming the central government in India. He said, in order to hasten up the RSS agenda of Hindu rashtra, communal polarisation with communal offensive will be sharpened. The central government led by BJP, the political arm of RSS will be nakedly used for the RSS agenda.

With the backing of international capital and domestic corporates, the BJP government will intensify exploitation of the people through continuing neo-liberal reforms. As matter of fact in the recent budget tabled in the parliament, the process of mounting burdens on the common people has been flagged off by levying two rupees increase on the diesel and petrol, which will further escalate the prices of essential commodities. The entire corporate community has been given benefit by reducing the corporate tax by 10 per cent.  Budget has also targeted to earn Rs 1.05 lakh crore by disinvesting the PSUs. Large scale privatisation is also in the agenda, he said.

Sitaram warned that the process of undermining the constitutional authorities, its independent institutions and regulatory mechanism, which started in the last Modi government; it will further intensify, he said. It is the requirement of RSS, in order to convert the ‘secular democratic constitutional republic’ in to the ideological project of Hindu rashtra.

Outlining the fourth danger, Sitaram said that the attack on the democratic rights and civil liberties will be further intensified. Independent expression of thoughts, right to comment and criticise will be at stake. Already we are witnessing farmers and other common people being put behind the bars for sharing comments on the social media, which mock the BJP leaders, on either performance or criticising them for their ideological positioning. The activities of private armies will be intensified depriving the people of their constitutional rights. Dissent will be suppressed through legal harassment using government machineries. Dalits and minority communities will be made the soft target of attack by Hindutva forces.

To meet these challenges, he emphasised on the extensive and intensive struggles of the working class, peasantry and agricultural workers on the issues of livelihood and to build up joint worker-peasant-agricultural workers struggles. He also emphasised on the united struggle of the left, democratic, secular and all patriotic forces on different issues.

 In conclusion, Sitaram asserted that against mounting of right wing offensive it is only the political left which can effectively resist rightward consolidation.

Ali Kishor Patnaik, secretary CPI(M) Odisha state committee  also spoke . Laxman Munda, newly elected CPI(M) MLA from Bonai constituency was felicitated by Sitaram Yechury and veteran CPI(M) leader Sivaji Patnaik.