Narendra Modi govt pursuing 'Atma Samparpan Bharat' in the name of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat': Sitaram Yechury

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury has hit out at the BJP-led government at the Centre saying it is pursuing the policy of 'Atma Samarpan Bharat' in the name of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' by privatising all government entities and PSUs.

He also blamed the Centre of trying to muffle the opposition voices by using draconian laws and slapping sedition charges against them.

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Yechury, who was speaking at a closed-door virtual meeting of CPI(M) state committee Friday night, apprehended that the coming parliament session has been convened to pass "few ordinances which will further scuttle the democratic rights of the people".

Criticising Modi government's foreign policy of "turning the country into a subordinate ally of the USA", he iterated the importance of "peaceful" talks to resolve the ongoing border crisis with China.

"Every single Constitutional authority is under attack, undermining their independence. All are being undermined from acting independently in defence of the Indian Constitution.

"Democratic rights and civil liberties are under severe attack and any expression of dissent or opposition voice against the government and its policies are termed as `anti-national' and are booked under draconian laws like UAPA, sedition etc.," Yechury said at the virtual meeting which continued till late last night.

Continuing his attack against the BJP, Yechury said instead of single-mindedly focusing on combating the coronavirus pandemic and providing relief to the people, the RSS dominated NDA government at the Centre is aggressively undermining the tenets of the Indian Constitution.

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"In the name of Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant India), the government is pursuing the programme Atma Samarpan Bharat (Surrender India) under which government entities and PSUs are being privatised in the name of reforms. The economic growth of the country is at an all-time low and is the lowest among all the other nations," a CPI-M press statement quoted him.

On the Sino-India border crisis, Yechury said CPI(M) had during the all-party meeting pointed out the need for talks and diplomacy to resolve the problem.

"The external affairs minister is also saying the same thing that talks are the only way to fix the crisis," he added.