Communist Party of India (CPI) national secretary K. Narayana has said that efforts are on to rope in all like-minded parties to form a formidable platform against the BJP for the coming general elections.
Addressing the media here on Saturday, he said that already almost all regional parties, except for a few such as the YSR Congress Party, have gone against the BJP and even neutral parties such as the BJD are thinking on the same lines. This is happening due to the BJP’s ‘anti-people’ policies such as the new Farm Acts, he said.
Coming down heavily on the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said that the basic ides of minimum government and maximum governance has gone for a toss and now it is the other way. “Today, with the recent Cabinet expansion, it is one of the biggest Cabinets that we have seen. Keeping Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in mind, the PM has inducted seven new Ministers from the State taking the total count from that State to 14,” he said.
To cover up his failures during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Prime Minister has made Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan the scapegoat, by removing him from his portfolio, alleged Mr. Narayana.
‘Under-counting COVID deaths’
Mr. Modi has now become the most unpopular PM and the cover-up of COVID deaths has been exposed by the media, he alleged. When the death toll is around 41 lakhs, the government is showing only 3.5 to 4 lakhs, Mr. Narayana alleged.
He also criticised Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy for allegedly under-counting the deaths. “I was there in the Tirupati hospital, when 23 patients died, as the oxygen tanker had come 45 minutes late. But the government had declared that only 11 patients died. During the COVID, while the entire population suffered due to bad planning and lack of infrastructure, only the corporate hospitals had benefited,” he said.
Mr. Narayana also found fault with the Union government for not paying compensation to the family members who have lost someone due to the pandemic. “The pandemic should be declared as a natural calamity and as per the rules ₹5 lakh should be paid to the beneficiaries,” he said.
The CPI leader alleged that Mr. Jagan was hand-in-glove with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and to see that his bail is not cancelled, he is not taking the steel plant privatisation issue with the Centre, seriously.
He alleged that Mr. Jagan has a tacit understanding with Mr. Amit Shah and rebel YSRCP MP Raghurama Raju. “Why is Mr. Jagan not suspending Mr. Raju, when he has openly demanded the cancellation of his bail?” Mr. Narayana questioned.
He alleged that Ms. Sharmila, who launched a political party in Telangana, has the blessings and approvals of her brother Mr. Jagan and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. “The party is launched, only to split the votes of Opposition parties of TRS,” he alleged.
