Kolkata: Bringing Narendra Modi to power at the Centre and implementing his Gujarat model of development would only encourage capitalism and communalism, CPI-M veteran Prakash Karat on Sunday said.
Addressing a massive rally at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata, Karat said in Modi's Gujarat only big business had gained, not the general people. Claiming that only a Left-led secular alternative can provide the right type of governance which could benefit the masses, he said anti-Congress and anti-BJP secular parties would present alternative policies after the present session of Parliament gets over.
Karat also lashed out at Modi for terming the Left-led Third Front "third grade". "A few days back in a rally, Modi said Third Front is third grade. Yes he is right. In (school) gradation third comes above first and second. So third is above all. We the Left are third and Modi is still in first (grade)," said Karat.
"What is Gujurat model? During Modi's regime in 2002, thousands of minorities were killed in riots. We have to fight against both Congress and BJP to establish an alternative government to pursue pro-people and secular alternative policies," the CPI-M General Secretary, said. He accused Congress of failing to curb the rise of communal forces in India.
"The Congress regime in the last 10 years has failed to curb corruption and communalism in the country," he said, asserting that only the Left can stop the rise of communalism and fundamentalism." Karat alleged that time has come for Trinamool Congress to forge an alliance with BJP.
Elaborating on his statement, he said, "TMC was with BJP from 1998 to 2001, when its chief Mamata Banerjee was the Railway Minister. She came out of the alliance. But after Modi became the Chief Minister of Gujarat, the party went back to the NDA and held the Coal Ministry portfolio."
"In 2009 and 2011, the TMC forged an alliance with the Congress and so time has again come for the party to enter into an alliance with BJP and NDA," Karat predicted. CPI-M politburo member and former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee too echoed the views of Karat on the issue of Third Front and said it was the implementation of alternative policies that mattered for the Left. "For us an alternative doesn't just mean a new prime minister. For us, an alternative means implementation of pro-people alternative policies. The selection of a prime minister is secondary," he said.
Bhattacharjee also derided Modi's statement made in a BJP rally at the same venue on February 5 that "people of Bengal will enjoy the benefits of having 'Didi' in Bengal and Narendra Modi in Delhi". "The people of Bengal are still in their senses. I am sure they don't want to repent after reaping those benefits. The people of Bengal will never want to have such benefits," he quipped.
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