While CPM gen secy says India is moving towards fascism, his senior colleague feels the govt is showing authoritarianism, not ‘fascism’
New Delhi: With RSS-BJP at the helm, India is moving towards fascism, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury suggested here on Monday, striking a note different from his senior colleague Prakash Karat who feels the country cannot become a fascist state.
“…the BJP acts as the political arm of the RSS. The RSS has a fascist agenda and that fascist agenda is an effort to try and replace the Indian secular democratic Constitutional republic with their form of ‘Hindu Rashtra’. That is something we are opposed to. We will continue being opposed to. “So, it is not a fascist state, but the movement towards fascism. They want to do.. That is something we will not allow to happen,” Yechury told reporters.
Earlier, in an article in an English daily recently, Karat had said that conditions are not present in India for a fascist regime to be established. He had said the Narendra Modi government at the Centre is showing “authoritarianism” but not “fascism”.
Speaking to reporters after party’s three-day Central Committee (CC) here on Monday, Yechury said fascism means replacement of Parliamentary democracy by open terroristic dictatorship, a change which he said, that has not happened in India.
He stated that the “danger of fascism” must be fought at all levels.
Asked if the Committee debated the issue, Yechury evaded a direct reply saying, “I told you our party position. Everybody (including CC members) knows the party position.”
During its meeting, the CC gave a call for building anti-communal platforms with democratic and secular forces. When asked if it meant the CPI(M) would be joining hands with Congress, Yechury said it is not a “party-to-party” understanding and has nothing to do with elections. “We have said all those willing to fight these (communal) attacks, we will all go along,” he emphasised.-PTI
