Reiterating its commitment towards the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc hit by Janata Dal (United)’s exit in Bihar, the CPI(M) Central Committee, the highest decision-making body of the party, slammed the Congress for “adopting a negative and anti-democratic” in Kerala.
“Despite the JD(U) deserting the INDIA bloc and collaborating with the BJP, the CPI(M) will make all efforts to further strengthen this formation and continue the activities to defeat the BJP to safeguard the secular democratic character of our Constitutional Republic,” the CPI(M) statement said. The focus, it said, is to complete the ongoing State-level talks on seat sharing between its constituents at the earliest and then proceed to reach out to the people based on core issues.
But at the same time, while flagging the Pinarayi Vijayan government’s run-in with Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, the party also criticised the Congress.
“The Kerala Governor has overstepped all boundaries with his constant political attacks on the elected State government and his grossly erratic behaviour,” the statement said, citing his latest sit-in as an example. “His statements like “beginning of the collapse of the Constitutional machinery” are threats levelled against the State government which will be rejected outright by the people of the State,” the party said.
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The party accused the Congress of keeping silent on the centre’s “assault on the rights of Kerala” which it said, helps the BJP in its manoeuvres against the State government. “The Congress party is adopting a negative and anti-democratic approach to the LDF government and making baseless allegations against the Chief Minister,” the statement said asserting that the people of Kerala will reject this disruptive approach of the Congress party.
‘State sponsored event’
Calling it a State-sponsored event aimed at electoral gains the party said that the Ram Temple inauguration at Ayodhya on January 22 has “virtually sounded” the death knell of secularism, defined as the separation of religion from the State, administration and politics.
“Both the President and Vice President of India sent congratulatory messages to the Prime Minister variously hailing him as having ‘redeemed a pledge’, “India’s tryst with destiny in its civilizational trajectory” etc. The whole function was a direct violation of the fundamental principle of the governance of India as reiterated by the Supreme Court, which is that the State under the Constitution should have no religious affiliation or preference,” the CPI(M) Central Committee said.
‘Restore people’s confidence in EVMs’
The Central Committee of CPI(M) has asked the Election Commission of India (EC) to “restore people’s confidence” in Electoral Voting Machines (EVMs) by changing the current sequence of recording ballots.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said presently, the EVMs transmit votes cast on the balloting unit first to the voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) device and then to the control unit for final counting.
“We know that the EVM has sent our vote to the VVPAT. However, voters have no control over or knowledge of what transpires electronically between the VVPAT device and the control unit. Hence, the CPI(M) has requested the EC to connect the ballot unit directly to the control unit and from that point to the VVPAT to ensure accurate accounting,” Mr. Yechury said.
