EC should act against Shah, PM Modi for patronising communal forces: CPI(M)

Sitaram Yechury accused Modi of "unleashing" communal campaign by accusing BJP's opponents of seeking to give reservation to minorities by taking away benefits of OBCs.

New Delhi: Demanding that Election Commission take action against Amit Shah over his "fireworks in Pakistan" remark, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury on Friday charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP president with "patronising and leading" communal forces.

Yechury said Shah's remarks were a "clear violation" of the model code of conduct for elections and underscored BJP's "extreme desperation and frustration" as he predicted a "Delhi-like" debacle for the NDA in Bihar Assembly election.

"We are asking the EC to take cognisance of the speeches and take action on the basis of their own code of conduct. We are asking for more than the Election Commission taking legal action, that is one aspect.

"...But politically what is this government doing? The BJP president and his Saheb (Modi)...I mean between the two of them, they are patronising all communal forces and in fact leading the campaign of communal polarisation," the CPI(M) general secretary alleged.

The Rajya Sabha member accused Modi of "unleashing" communal campaign by accusing BJP's opponents of seeking to give reservation to minorities by taking away benefits of OBCs.

"There are posters that have been put up by BJP, accusing all the others opposing it of seeking to give reservation to the minorities by taking away reservations or the benefits from the OBCs. Such a communal campaign the BJP leaders including the Prime Minister have unleashed in Bihar," he said.

Yechury claimed the campaign launched by Left Front against the communal forces is finding echo amongst people and that a Delhi-election like debacle is in store for BJP.

Addressing an election rally in Bihar's Raxaul yesterday, Shah had said that there will be bursting of fire crackers in Pakistan if his party loses the Assembly polls.

"Do you want the return of Jungle Raaj-2? If by any mistake BJP loses, victory and defeat may be in Bihar but fire crackers will go off in Pakistan. Do you want crackers being burst in Pakistan?" he said.

On RSS reportedly stating that "it is not opposed to existing reservation, but quotas based on religions", Yechury said that Constitution of India does not permit reservation on the basis of religions and that there was "no meaning" to the Sangh's clarification.

"On one hand, they talk about doing away with the reservation and then give a clarification. This government has become a government of clarifications," the communist leader said.

Yechury also targeted NDA Government for not holding all-party meetings to discuss reservation as were called by previous governments.

"This is a pseudo-Hindu Government, giving a pseudo-Hindu Governance," he quipped.