JOIN USCPM calls for joint fight of non-BJP ruled states against governors' interventions
A protest march organised by the ruling CPM-led Left Democratic Front in Kerala against the Governor on Tuesday turned out to be a call for all non-BJP ruled states to jointly fight against the BJP's alleged attempts to implement Hindutva agenda using governors.
CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, who inaugurated the Raj Bhavan march in Thiruvananthapuram, called upon all non-BJP ruled states to come together against BJP's attempts to implement its Hindutva agenda by destroying the higher education sector and by using the governors.
Referring to the governor-government rift in many states, Yechury said that governors in non-BJP-ruled states were deviating from their constitutional duties and trying to implement policies of the BJP. This was affecting the centre-state relationships. Hence a large battle to protect the secular character of India was required, he said.
Yechury flayed that Narendra Modi was following the lines of Adolf Hitler with the assault on reasoning and rationality in public discourse by destroying the higher education sector and thereby trying to make the people accept that what the leaders were saying was the truth. Even as states have powers on matters pertaining to education the centre was bypassing the states and taking unilateral decisions with the aim of imposing their fascist ideologies on the youths, the CPM general secretary said.
Meanwhile, governor Arif Mohammed Khan, who is in Delhi, told reporters that he was only discharging his duties to uphold the Constitution and he would not succumb to pressures or threats.
Thousands of left-front workers, including women and children, participated in the march to the Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram which was also addressed by DMK Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchi Siva.
Even as Kerala left front initiated the demonstration in view of the interventions being made by the Kerala governor on the selection of vice-chancellors, the CPM later decided to rope in representatives from other non-BJP ruled states that were also witnessing governor-government rift.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and ministers kept away from the protest citing basic etiquette in taking part in a stir against the Governor.
There were even reports that the governor was exploring legal moves against the Raj Bhavan march citing earlier court orders against demonstrations blocking roads.
Though BJP state president K Surendran moved the Kerala HC against the march alleging that government employees would be taking part in the march, the court rejected the plea citing a lack of any evidence for the contention.