Struggle for protecting Constitution, secular democracy needs to be intensified: CPI(M)

New Delhi, Jul 1 (PTI) The CPI(M) on Monday said the struggle to protect the Constitution, secular democracy, federalism and civil liberties will have to be intensified, and the the Left party will undertake the task.

In a statement issued after a meeting of its central committee held here from June 28 to June 30, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said the results of the recently-held Lok Sabha polls were a significant setback for the ruling BJP.

It said the people of the country, asserting their will to protect the Constitution and the secular democratic character of India, and expressing deep concerns over the sharply-declining livelihood conditions, have ensured that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does not get a majority, unlike in the last two Lok Sabha polls.

"Despite these adverse results and being forced to form a coalition NDA government, the BJP launched a relentless offensive to re-establish (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi's hegemony. Given the fact that its overall vote share marginally declined by a little over 1 per cent, it seeks the consolidation of Hindutva consciousness that it had pursued through the last decade," the CPI(M) said.

It alleged that for further intensification of communal polarisation, a series of attacks against Muslims have been unleashed from the day the poll results were announced, while the "weaponisation" of central agencies continues to target the opposition.

The Left party said by getting Om Birla, who suspended nearly 150 MPs in the last session, re-elected as the Lok Sabha speaker, a narrative is sought to be generated that it is "business as usual" under Modi.

"Under these circumstances, the central committee concluded that the struggles for the defence of the Indian Constitution, secular democracy, federalism and people's civil liberties, along with the struggles for improved livelihoods for the vast majority of the Indian people, will have to be intensified both inside and outside Parliament," it said.

"The CPI(M) will undertake this task both jointly with secular democratic parties and independently across the country," it added.

Analysing the party's Lok Sabha poll performance, the central committee said it played a role in mobilising working people in the struggles against the Modi regime's policies and in rallying secular forces against the BJP-RSS, thereby contributing to strengthening the INDIA opposition bloc.

"However, the performance of the party is disappointing," it said.

The Left parties won eight seats in the Lok Sabha this time, with the CPI(M) securing four of those and the CPI and the CPI(ML) Liberation getting two seats each.

The central committee of the CPI(M) said the poll performance was evaluated and action will be taken to overcome the shortcomings.

"The central committee critically evaluated the party's performance in all the states where we had contested, with serious self-introspection. The weaknesses and shortcomings were identified and pin-pointed. The party's state committees will now carry forward the implementation of the tasks worked out to overcome these shortcomings and further strengthen the party," it said.

The CPI(M) also condemned the spate of attacks against the "lives, livelihood and properties of members belonging to the Muslim community" in various parts of the country in the aftermath of the setback received by the BJP in the Lok Sabha election.

"A total of five Muslim men have been reported killed in attacks directed against them from Raipur in Chhattisgarh, Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh and Chikhodra in Gujarat.

"Such sharpening of communal assaults following the reversals suffered by the BJP highlight the fact that the Hindutva communal forces are intensifying their attempts at polarisation with a renewed vengeance," it said.

The Left party asked all its units to remain vigilant against such "unscrupulous manoeuvres" by the BJP and other "communal" outfits. "Party units throughout the country should organise protest actions immediately against such vicious attempts," it said.

On recent controversies around various exams and reports of paper leaks, the CPI(M) sought the education minister's resignation and scrapping of the National Testing Agency (NTA).

"The central committee expressed its deep concern at the anguish and trauma faced by lakhs of students, their parents and others affected by the scandals surrounding the exams conducted by the National Testing Agency," it said while reiterating its opposition to the National Education Policy (NEP).

"The centralisation of the examination system is part and parcel of this drive," the party said.

It also opposed the implementation of the new criminal laws.

"These laws passed in haste, without debate, in a blatantly-autocratic and anti-democratic manner, when a large number of opposition MPs were suspended from Parliament, are draconian in nature," it said.

"The CPI(M) joins the Bar associations, concerned citizens and civil society organisations who have voiced serious concerns in demanding that the implementation of the new laws be put in abeyance, given the various genuine concerns and their regressive and draconian nature," the Left party said. PTI AO RC