Kolkata : CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury on Sunday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the BJP’s defeat in the recent Delhi assembly polls and the government’s failure to secure passage for the motion of thanks to the president for his address to parliament without amendments.
Addressing a Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) -convened rally at the Brigade Parade Ground here, Yechuri, a CPI-M politburo member, also admitted that the party has learnt from its mistakes.
“Modiji used to mock at the opposition, saying it was so small that all the members would fit into a bus to come to parliament.
“But after the Delhi elections, it’s the BJP whose condition is pitiable. With just three members, an auto-rickshaw is sufficient to carry them,” said Yechury.
“Even last week in parliament he mocked about the demise of the Red flag (CPI-M’s party flag). Ironically, that day Modiji suffered his biggest defeat when an amendment to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address, brought by us, was passed in the Rajya Sabha,” he said.
Taking a jibe at Modi’s ‘Achhe din aane wale hain’ (good days are to come) poll slogan, Yechury quoted from popular song of Kishore Kumar’s to say that the people of the country were now instead singing ‘Koi lauta de mere beetey hue din’ (someone please return my good old days).
“The good days are only for the capitalists and the corporates. From ghar wapasi (home coming), Modiji is talking about dhan wapasi (return of money) but we haven’t seen a single step by this government to bring back the black money,” he added.
Accusing the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) of stoking communal hatred in the country, the veteran Marxist said only the Left parties in the country could stop these communal and neo-liberal forces.
“I wish Modiji could come here to see the 12 lakh people that have assembled here. Hopefully, he is watching it on TV and getting the message that people here are giving.
“This mammoth rally is an answer to those who say the Left is dead,” Yechury asserted, as he called upon the people to strengthen the party in West Bengal.
Sounding the clarion call for the forthcoming municipal polls and the 2016 assembly elections in West Bengal, Yechury urged the people to strengthen the CPI-M in the state.
“We had made mistakes and the people have taught us the lesson. We have learnt from mistakes and will not repeat them. A human being is one who learns from his mistakes and rectifies them.
“Our dream is for a better India and that is not possible without a political change. This change has to start from Bengal. The responsibility is now on you to work towards that better India,” Yechury said at the rally.