Centre trying to condition youngsters’ mindset through NEP: Yechury

Like many other policies of the Centre, the National Education Policy is an infringement on the rights of States, says the CPI(M) general secretary

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Sunday accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of trying to ideologically condition the mindset of youngsters through the National Education Policy (NEP), which would change the character of the Constitution.

Addressing a party conference here, he said the NEP, like many other policies of the Centre, was an infringement on the rights of States. “The pandemic was used to impose the NEP on States. The syllabus of schools and higher education could now be controlled by the Centre with an aim to condition the mindset [of youngsters] to further their fascist ideology. It is to create an amenable situation for spreading Hindutva,” the CPI(M) leader said.

Flaying the Centre for its assault on the federal structure of Indian polity, the CPI(M) leader said: “While Governors are used to destabilise non-BJP governed States, Lieutenant Governors are utilised to run Union Territories as satellite governments of the Centre.”

“It is a clear assault on the federal concepts. The BJP has found a new rule that even if its members are not elected, the party could form its own government by use of money and unleashing Central agencies, as seen in States like Madhya Pradesh, Goa and Karnataka,” he added.

Supporting the stand of party’s local unit, Mr. Yechury said Puducherry had every right to claim Statehood.

Appealing to party workers for a long fight to protect the spirit of the Constitution, he said the Left would be in the forefront to defend the rights of individuals to practise their own religion and oppose the moves to foster a single religion.