Modi's 'New India' subservient to corporates: Yechury

Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech, the Left parties on Saturday said it was full of rhetoric while alleging that his "New India" is subservient to corporates and not self-reliant.

Urging the citizens of the country to unite against the government's move to privatise India's assets, the Left parties said only a people's movement can fight the present regime.

"The New India that the prime minister spoke about in his speech at the Red Fort is a negation of that India, which was established by our Constitution. This India is not self-reliant, but subservient to foreign corporates. A people's movement is the only way to reverse the multi-pronged attacks on our Constitution by this government," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said at a webinar organised by the party.

Modi addressed the nation on the occasion of its 74th Independence Day from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Saturday and asked the citizens of the country to prepare themselves for a self-reliant India.

CPI general secretary D Raja alleged that unlike former prime ministers, who are remembered for their developmental agendas, Modi will be remembered as a prime minister who served the purpose of corporates.

"His speech today was full of rhetoric. He repeatedly said Aatmanirbhar Bharat, which is an irony given the fact that our entire economy has been handed over to private players. Be it the defence sector, railways, atomic energy or even AI and more are being given for privatisation.

"He failed to address the issues of unemployment and poverty but mentioned Ayodhya, which exposed him completely. He will be remembered as a prime minister who served the purpose of corporates," he said.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who also spoke at the webinar, said the social fabric of the nation, which is alien to communalism, is under attack.

"The lessons learnt from the freedom movement, which taught us to fight shoulder to shoulder forgetting caste, religion and economic status, need to be reinforced for holding us together as a nation and fighting against economic and social inequalities," the CPI(M) leader said.