'Historical necessity' to build powerful anti-BJP platform: CPI Sudhakar Reddy

The CPI Friday said it was a "historical necessity" to build a powerful anti-BJP nation-wide platform to defeat the saffron party at the hustings. Communist Party of India general secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy also said Congress was the main opposition party in the country and without it, there cannot be a strong opposition.

"I am not defending (Congress)...I have several differences with the Congress and its policies. But, today the most important point is to defeat communalism, to defend the Constitution, to defend secularism and for these reasons for the time being we think there is a necessity to build a powerful anti-BJP nation-wide platform. It may not be a front some parties may be in the front and some parties may be outside but there is a necessity that is a historical necessity and anybody trying to wreck it is working on behalf of BJP," Reddy said.

He expressed confidence that the BJP would be defeated in the 2019 general elections and a strong opposition platform built across the country. Reddy flayed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his attacks on the Opposition parties and the proposed opposition 'front.' Hitting back, he asked Modi "Why did you build a front." "NDA had 32 parties...18 parties have gone out of the NDA in the last five years. When you (Modi) can have the front why cannot the Opposition have a front? You are having the front to capture power while the Opposition is having the power to bring an alternative, secular democratic government in this country," Reddy told reporters.

On Telangana Chief Minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Chief K Chandrasekhar Rao's plan for forming a federal front at the national-level sans Congress and BJP, Reddy said it was to divide the anti-BJP front votes. The CPI leader alleged he (Rao) was doing it on behalf of the BJP. On the charge sheet filed by Delhi police against former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and others in a sedition case, Reddy alleged it was concocted. The charge sheet was filed after over three years, he said. "It is concocted case. This is all for election propaganda as if JNU is anti-national and the students and communists are anti-nationals. They want to create an enemy and show we have to fight this," Reddy said.

He said CPI would extend support to the three-day strike call given by three Defence Civilian Employees Federations representing civilian employees working in ordnance factories and other units from January 23-25 against "privatisation" of defence industries. "Defence is a very sensitive area and privatisation is dangerous which leads to corruption and it also leads to leaks of important matters of security. He condemned the government's decision and demanded that it roll back privatisation and continue to strengthen the public sector defence and ordnance factories.

Reddy lashed out at Modi over his recent speech on the Sabarimala issue, saying it was uncalled for. Criticising the LDF government in Kerala, Modi had said at a public rally at Kollam that the conduct of the LDF on the Sabarimala issue "will go down in history" as one of the most "shameful behaviours" by any party and government. "It was the very irresponsible type of comments on Communists and (it is) openly supporting the people who are defying the Supreme Court judgment (allowing women of all age groups to enter the Ayyappa temple) on Sabarimala issue. This (comments) are not for the level of the Prime Minister and this is highly irresponsible behaviour on the part of the Prime Minister," he said.

The CPI leader flayed the Centre over the handling of the issue of former CBI chief Alok Verma and added: "we demand transparency...all papers of CVC and Justice A K Patnaik's should be published".

(With inputs from agencies.)