Need to put up a united front at centre now: Pinarayi Vijayan
Given the lack of a strong opposition at the Centre, the regional parties have a bigger role to play, especially in the forthcoming general elections, says Pinarayi.
Hyderabad: With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) failing miserably on all fronts pushing India backwards, there was an urgent need to put up a united fight against the right wing party at the centre and time is opportune for leaders like K Chandrashekhar Rao to explore all possibilities of forming a coalition with like-minded parties, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan asserted here on Thursday.
Given the lack of a strong opposition at the Centre, the regional parties have a bigger role to play, especially in the forthcoming general elections. In fact, it is an opportune moment for putting up a united fight against the BJP.
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The formation of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao was a good move to foray into national politics. Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao should explore all possibilities for coalition politics, the veteran Communist party leader said during a freewheeling chat with a select group of journalists in Hyderabad on Thursday morning. The 77-year-old veteran argued that national parties like the Congress and the BJP had failed to deliver and live up to people’s expectations.
To a question on leadership at the national level, he argued that there was nothing like a South or North leadership, but it was all about policy matters and the effective implementation of policies for the welfare and development of the country.
The Kerala Chief Minister was on a transit halt in Hyderabad, while on his way to Khammam where he is addressing a meeting organised by the Telangana Vyavasaya Karimka Sangham of the CPM. Clad in his trademark whites, Vijayan was extremely comfortable in fielding a variety of questions and shared his thoughts on many a subject.
The senior most CPM leader stressed that any party or any leader from any corner of the country could be successful at national politics. Regional parties were strong in many States and they will have to play a decisive role in future. .
On the relationship between union and State Governments, the Kerala Chief Minister asserted that good relations between the Centre and States were crucial, but the federal principles were being violated at will by the BJP Government. In a developing country, Centre and States should work cordially, only then country could progress.
“Without States there is no Centre. Central Government should definitely be strong but States should have equal freedom and satisfaction” he said while taking a taking a jibe at BJP’s opposition on freebies.
On the perception that there was a leadership void in the Opposition camp at the national level, the Kerala Chief Minister pointed out that the Congress was a major party in the opposition ranks, but it had now taken the road of becoming BJPs ‘B’ party.
There was no difference in the economic policies of the BJP and the erstwhile Congress Governments. In 1992, the Congress Government had implemented New Liberal Policy and there was no difference between the BJP’s current policies, he pointed out. “Now, BJP is vigorously implementing these policies. As expected, there is no opposition from the Congress” he observed.
Coming down heavily on the BJP’s foreign policy, he said India was now an ally of America. During its regime, the UPA Government had introduced this trend and Left parties had opposed it strongly. But they had insisted to go along with America and now the BJP had gone a step further and transformed India into a strategic ally of America. “There was a time, when the third world countries looked up to India as it was the champion in taking on the imperial forces. All that has now changed” Pinarayi Vijayan rued.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan says priority was being given to BJP-ruled States over non-BJP-ruled States in many matters by the union Government. Excerpts from his interview with Telangana Today.
Q: Your comment on increasing interference of Governors’ in State administration?
A: Governors always interfered in State politics. During the Congress regime itself they were used by the union Government to interfere in the State administration. But there was a limit, now in the BJP Government there is no limit. In 1957, Congress was ruling the country except for Kerala where Communist party came to power and the government was dismissed by the Centre. I don’t want to comment on Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan’s interference.
Q: On misuse of Central probe agencies?
A: It is happening all over India. Wherever non-BJP Governments are in power, misuse of Central probe agencies is immense. In some States, BJP has some problems and they indulge in arm-twisting tactics to achieve their ‘goals’. They tried in Kerala also but were not successful.
Q: What’s your comment on the attempt to poach four BRS MLAs in Telangana.
A: Yes, that is BJP style. They attract MLAs from other parties using money. They have dethroned democratically elected governments in eight States.
Q: You have been in politics for so long. Was this happening in the past?
A: Changing times. Many people want to get rich within short time. Crores are being offered to shift loyalties and leaders are falling to the baits. This is not good for democracy.
Q: Your comment on Telangana’s pro-farmer policies and Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bhima.
A: These welfare programmes are very good and helpful. They need to be implemented across the country. Central Government is noticing but not increasing the welfare measures. In every budget, some announcements are made but not implemented effectively.
Q: Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted aerial survey during Gujarat floods in 2021 and announced Rs.1000 crore assistance.
A: We are not against Gujarat. Kerala suffered successive floods in 2018 and 2019 and we did not receive proper assistance. We are not against any State but there has to be some uniformity.
Q: Is Centre discriminative towards Southern States ?
A: No it is not like that. It is all about BJP-ruled States and non-BJP States. Prominence is being given to BJP-ruled States in many matters.
Q: What’s your take on the BJP’s divisive politics?
A: BJP is spreading communal politics. And, it cannot implement secular values and protect them. Secularism means being totally against communal forces and unfortunately Congress is favouring all these things. That is the main problem now.
Q: PSUs are being sold out, farmers are not happy. Recession threat is looming large.
A: Rs.65,000 crore revenue generation is being estimated through sale of PSUs in the country by the BJP Government. Again, this trend was initiated by Congress Government and BJP is going beyond the limits. This reflects their priorities.
Q: Your take on BJP Government’s progress in the last years?
A: India slips to 107 rank and is below many small countries like Bangladesh in the Global Hunger index. This sumps up BJP Government’s achievement.
