Corporate groups close to BJP trying to take over agriculture sector, says Prakash Karat

Prakash Karat criticizes Modi government for betraying people, warns of corporate takeover in agriculture, urges support for CPI(M) candidate.

Charging the Narendra Modi government with overall betrayal of the people, CPI(M) senior leader and Politburo member Prakash Karat on Sunday said the corporate groups close to BJP were set to take over the agriculture sector in the country soon.

Speaking at an election rally in Oddanchatram, a part of Dindigul Lok Sabha constituency, seeking votes for CPI(M) candidate Sachidanandam, he said that the farmers’ year-long struggle should not be forgotten as it had not been redressed by the BJP government. The agitators demanded a minimum support price (MSP), which the government failed to redress despite its promise.

The people should think about the earlier promise by the Modi government to give two crore jobs. While in reality, citing a UN report, he said the unemployment rate was the highest in the last 45 years in India. When many jobs were lying vacant in the Central government such as in Railways, the government had not filled them up.

The senior Communist leader said the 2024 election was to protect and defend democracy. The INDIA alliance leaders were determined to fight to preserve the secular fabric of the nation. There were different religions, languages, caste, creed and community. However, the BJP and the RSS were determined to have one party, one election and now, one leader. This was dangerous.

Attacking the BJP and Mr. Modi, he said the Prime Minister was not fighting the elections politically. Using force and wrongful charges, two elected Chief Ministers (New Delhi and Jharkhand) were jailed. The leaders were elected by the people, but the two CMs would not be able to participate in the elections, which were a fundamental right.

Hence, in the larger public interest and with the intention to preserve the secular, democratic and sovereignty of the nation, the INDIA bloc leaders had come together. Thus, the 2024 elections were not an ordinary poll as it decided who should not form the government, he stressed.

The INDIA bloc parties had already stated in their manifestos on creating new jobs, particularly for the youth. The parties were committed and like the rural employment guarantee programme, an urban employment scheme would be launched.