'Butchering democracy in Bengal, won't share dais with Mamata Banerjee': Sitaram Yechury

Hyderabad: CPI(M) would not share dais with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee though she was also fighting against CAA, NRC and NPR because she had been 'butchering' democracy in the state, party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said on Friday.

Talking to reporters here, he alleged the CPI(M) lost more than 278 of its comrades while thousands had been framed with false charges and issued non-bailable warrants in Bengal.

While the TMC won 22 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats, the BJP came second bagging 18 seats and the Left front drew a blank in the general elections.

Yechury was replying to a question whether the CPI(M) will share dais with the Trinamool Congress chief in the ongoing fight against the Narendra Modi government over Citizenship Amendment Act, National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR).

"Sharing the dais (with Mamata) is not the issue. Because in Bengal, she and her party have been primarily responsible for the butchery of democracy. In the last Parliament elections, it was the people's anger against Banerjee which gave the BJP the benefit. She continues the murderous attacks (on CPI-M workers)," Yechury alleged.

Noting that chief ministers of 13 states have opposed the contentious NRC and two of them (Kerala and West Bengal) have stayed the NPR process in their states, he appealed to the others also to stop the updation of the population register.

"On that issue there is no problem. Coming together in Bengal (with TMC) will have different implications for all the other struggles that are going on," he said in apparent reference to the Left parties' fight against the Mamata Banerjee government.

"But on this issue (NPR, NRC) she seems to be on the same side. That is okay," Yechury said.

He said it was essential that all the secular forces to come together at this hour and appealed to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, whose party TRS voted against the CAA, to dissociate with the NPR.

On RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat's comments that 130 crore Indians were Hindus for the Sangh, Yechury said How can it be.

It is not possible if they define Hindus as a religion.

The meaning of that statement is that all non-Hindus are not Indians. That is the interpretation.

Otherwise, what is the meaning of that statement? Earlier, in an interaction with the students of the Osmania University here the CPI-M leader alleged CAA, NPR and NRC were aimed at making India a fascist country and hence people should reject them.

This is not Hindu-Muslim issue. The struggle is to save democracy, he claimed.

Replying to a query, he said he would not suggest people to give wrong information when the enumerators come for the NPR.

He said the additional details sought in the NPR may authorise the officials to keep any persons name under D category (doubtful) if there was no sufficient information such as parents' birthplace.

Yechury accused the Modi government of pushing the country towards polarisation on religious lines.