By IANS
New Delhi : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani is a “highly divisive figure”.
Criticising the BJP for choosing Advani as its prime ministerial candidate, the CPI-M in an editorial in the latest issue of the party mouthpiece ‘People’s Democracy’ weekly said: “The fact is that Advani is a highly divisive figure”.
“An accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case and known for his communal baiting of the minorities, Advani is not one who can be sold as the leader of a broader coalition consisting of regional parties, who do not share the Hindutva ideology.
“The BJP is acutely aware that it has no chance whatsoever of coming into government without acquiring more allies. But the choice of Advani as the leader is an intrinsic block to broadening the alliance,” it added.
The CPI-M also criticised the BJP leader for his remarks that the Congress-led government, which relies on the support of the Left parties for survival in parliament, was trying to “Kremlinise” Indian politics, referring to its proximity to Moscow.
“Only a person blinded by devotion for the United States and love for Israel can conjure such delusionary charges. Advani has the dubious distinction of being the only home minister to have visited the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency, the US intelligence agency) headquarters at Langley.”
The article also pooh-poohed the BJP’s announcement at the party conclave earlier this week that it would provide 33 percent of seats in party committees to women, saying it was a device to “cover up its shifting stand on one-third reservation for women in legislatures and parliament”.
“The BJP now wants one-third quota for women to be made in the parties’ list of candidates. Moreover, care has been taken to exclude central office-bearers and the parliamentary board from this requirement,” it said.
The article said: “The BJP’s attempts to pose as if it is poised for a comeback in the next Lok Sabha elections carries no conviction. It has called on its other state governments to emulate Gujarat. But the rest of India is not Gujarat.”