CPI(M) General Secretary MA Baby called Congress’s allegations of a CPI(M)-BJP deal ‘preposterous’. He urged for decorum within the INDIA bloc, highlighting the need for unity against the BJP despite inter-party electoral contests in states.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary MA Baby on Sunday dismissed allegations by Congress that the party had struck a deal with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), calling such claims “preposterous” and stressing the need for decorum among Opposition parties.
Speaking to ANI, Baby said that CPI-M had raised certain issues through a letter sent to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and shared with other constituents of the INDIA bloc. “We have raised certain issues through a letter which has been sent to Kharge ji, and we have marked that to other constituents of the INDIA bloc parties. We want a very broad arrangement of political parties to fight the BJP, which is guided and controlled by fascistic RSS,” he said.
Decorum Needed Among Allies
He also acknowledged that the INDIA bloc parties may contest against each other in various states, but stressed that a certain level of decorum must be maintained. “It is true that parties belonging to the INDIA bloc may have to fight against each other during elections in various states, but there is a certain decorum that needs to be maintained when we fight each other. To allege that we have a deal with the RSS and the BJP, it is preposterous. Being the main opposition party in the Lok Sabha, Congress has a responsibility to maintain decorum within the opposition arrangement,” Baby added.
He further said that CPI-M will continue cooperating with opposition parties in Parliament on defending secularism and opposing anti-people Union Government policies, while decisions on political cooperation outside Parliament will be taken as needed. “We would continue to cooperate on issues related to defending secularism and fighting the anti-people policies of the Union Govt. We will continue to do that. There will be full coordination among all the opposition political parties in Parliament. When it comes to political cooperation outside parliament based on issues, we will make a decision,” Baby said.
Letter to Congress Highlights ‘Disruptive Moves’
In a letter to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, the CPM general secretary highlighted that Congress had alleged a CPI-M-BJP deal during the Keralam Assembly elections, claiming even senior CPI-M leaders were involved. “These allegations strike at the very basis of the unity forged against the BJP. Hundreds of our cadres were martyred in Kerala fighting the RSS-BJP. During ten years of LDF rule, there were no communal riots, which vouches for our commitment to secularism,” he wrote.
Baby urged Congress to clarify these “disruptive moves,” warning that the very purpose of the INDIA bloc could be questioned if not addressed.
Friction Ahead of INDIA Bloc Meeting
The remarks come ahead of the INDIA bloc meeting scheduled for June 8 in New Delhi, which is expected to bring together leaders of multiple opposition parties, including the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), to discuss post-election strategy following the recently concluded Assembly polls in four states and one Union Territory.
Meanwhile, the DMK announced it would skip the meeting, citing Congress’s post-poll support to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) as a “betrayal.” (ANI)
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