India going through critical period, Left unity required: D Raja

New Delhi, Sep 29 (PTI) Asserting that India was going through a critical period, Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary D Raja on Monday called for Left unity and greater "mutual trust" among the INDIA bloc parties to counter the BJP.

He said the INDIA bloc should not just fixate on elections, instead it should have an economic agenda focusing on people's livelihood.

“India is passing through a very, very critical period. The BJP, RSS combined have captured the political power. Using their electoral autocracy, they are trying to force great threats to our Constitution, to our democracy, to the federal system of government in our country,” Raja said, addressing a press conference here days after the CPI party congress concluded.

“They are trying to polarise the people in the name of religion. Mr Modi and his government are trying to convert India into an autocratic nation. If that happens, that will be a big calamity for the nation as Ambedkar forewarned,” he said.

Raja said the party congress was of the view that they must intensify the campaign against the BJP and RSS, and stressed the need for unity among Left parties.

“The BJP-RSS is posing great threats to the very foundational principles of our Constitution. Our party congress stressed the need for the Left unity, communist unity,” he said, adding that it is the “historic need” of the country.

The CPI, Raja claimed, was the first to give a call for India's independence. "We liberated the country from British Raj, we will liberate the country from BJP raj." ON the INDIA bloc, the CPI leader said parties should have “mutual trust in each other”.

“We must have some economic agenda also related to the livelihood of the people. It is not only for fighting elections. It is not only for coming together at the time of elections,” he said.

"We have to project an alternative to BJP-RSS in every respect. Our party congress has appealed to even regional parties who claim to be centrist parties, even if you don't take a left-of-centre position, don't take a right-of-centre position,” he said.

He said the INDIA bloc will have to put up a “united fight” against the BJP, adding that the opposition grouping only becomes active at the time of seat-sharing during elections.

“Seat-sharing must be accounted for with each other. If it doesn't happen, what we witnessed in Haryana, Maharashtra, Delhi can be repeated,” he said.

On the upcoming Bihar elections, Raja hoped that the CPI and Left parties will get a “reasonable” number of seats. PTI AO AO SKY SKY