High time to defeat ‘chowkidar’ Modi to save country: Yechury

Kolkata: Describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “chowkidar” (watchman), under whose watch loot and communalism were rampant in the country, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Sunday sought the formation of an alternative democratic government at the Centre.

“We have to defeat chowkidar Modi in the next elections. We don’t need such a chowkidar, in whose presence loot is going on in the country. They have spread the poison of communalism across the country. The Centre, which has looted the country for past five years, is now doling out sops ahead of elections,” Mr Yechury said, while addressing a rally at Brigade Parade Grounds here.

The CPI(M) leader also said the country needs a change in policy for its overall development. “We are not calling for his (Modi’s) defeat just because we don’t like him, we are calling for a change so that there can be alternative polices. We have to fight for an alternative secular and democratic government at the Centre,” he said.

The veteran leader also attacked the ruling Trinamul Congress in the state, stating that the “saffron party and the Mamata Banerjee-led party were two sides of the same coin”.

“It is important to defeat the TMC in the state in order to defeat BJP at the Centre,” he added.

CPI general secretary S. Sudhakar Reddy termed the interim Budget placed by the BJP-led government at the Centre as a “jumla” and accused the Centre of destroying all the institutions in the country.

“The Budget is a jumla just like other promises made by the BJP government. The Modi government is destroying all the institutions in the country. Even Parliament does not function properly. People’s issues are not raised inside Parliament,” Mr Reddy said while addressing the rally.

Calling for defeat of the Modi government, Mr Reddy asserted that there was widespread resentment over the Centre’s economic policies.

“The repeated assaults on minorities and dalits, and misuse of institutions such as the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate, and the Reserve Bank is not going down well with the people,” he said.

Ailing former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee attended the rally, making a public appearance after a gap of almost three years. Left Front chairman Biman Bose announced Mr Bhattacharjee’s presence in the rally but said that he would hear the proceedings of the public meeting from inside his car due to ill health.

Mr Bhattacharjee left the venue after some time, but his wife Mira Bhattacharjee stayed back.

The veteran CPI(M) leader was at the helm of the Left Front government in the state from 2000 to 2011. He had stepped down from the CPI(M) state committee in March 2018, citing ill health. Earlier, he had also relinquished the central committee and politburo posts.