Prakash Karat terms BJP yatra height of absurdity'

Thrissur: CPM will be conducting nation-wide protests against BJP and RSS for holding a false campaign against it over the political violence and allegations of a pro-jihadi stand, politburo member Prakash Karat has said. The protest against the smear campaign on Kerala and CPM by BJP would be held in all state capitals except Kerala starting from October 9, he said on Thursday. He also said protest marches of BJP going on for 14 consecutive days to AKG Bhavan in New Delhi was undemocratic and unheard of.

Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, he said the ‘Jana Raksha Yatra’ of BJP citing political killings in Kerala was the ‘height of absurdity’ as the country had witnessed 26 murders in lynch mob violence in north India by the cow vigilantes after NDA came to power. “It does not make any sense for the RSS-BJP to hold a two-week long rally in Kerala against violence when in PM’s own state Gujarat, a Dalit was recently beaten to death for taking part in ‘garba’ dance during Navratri and some Dalits got thrashed by upper caste Hindus for sporting mustaches,” Mr Karat said. Mr Karat said the Kerala High Court order annulling the wedding of 24-year-old Hadiya (previously Akhila) had shocked him and the Supreme Court order for NIA probe in the matter made the case complicated.

“Haidya has the right to decide on whom to marry and the investigation agencies can act against the couple only if they engage in any anti-national activities,” he said. The CPM leader said only if the Union government cut its excise duty on petrol/diesel substantially, the state government could follow suit. The recent deduction of Rs 2 on excise duty is nothing as it was hiked 11 times after the NDA came to power. He also said that whether there would be a unified opposition against BJP in the Lok Sabha polls in 2019 could be finalised after the Central committee of CPM decides on it in January.