Brinda Karat Slams ‘Retrograde’ Sri Ram Sene

Bangalore, Feb 13 (PTI): CPI (M) Politburo member Brinda Karat arriving at the media conference in Bangalore, where she criticised the inaction of the BJP government in Karnataka.

Accusing the BJP government in Karnataka of maintaining a “deafening silence” on the violent activities of the Sri Ram Sene, CPI (M) leader Brinda Karat said its approach legitimises the “retrograde” outlook of the right-wing group.

The state government’s approach “actually legitimises the communal and retrograde outlook of that organisation (Sene),” she said. The Sene, which shot to infamy last year after its members beat up women at a Mangalore pub, has threatened to disrupt Valentine’s Day celebrations in the state.

CPI (M) condemned the Sene’s “crude” approach to women and women’s rights, Ms. Karat said, and accused the government of adopting double standards in dealing with those violating rights.

She claimed while those blackening Sene leader Pramod Mutalik’s face here earlier this week were arrested, no action was taken against an office-bearer of the outfit who allegedly spat at leading women’s activist Vimla at the same Valentine’s Day TV debate where the Sene was called to air its view.

“We disapprove of acts like blackening faces, but if those who have blackened faces can be arrested, why have they not taken action against the one who spat (on Vimla)?” she asked.

Stone-throwing incidents were reported from some areas in the state as Sene gave a bandh call on Saturday to protest against the blackening of Mr. Muthalik’s face.

On people celebrating Valentine’s day, Karat said if people wish to celebrate the occasion, they had every right to do so, and the state must ensure that law and order is maintained.

Turning to other issues, she said Left parties would stage a rally on March 12 at New Delhi to protest against price rise, unemployment and to demand homes for the homeless.

The rally would be a culmination of a nationwide campaign against the government’s policies which, Ms. Karat claimed, have led to price rise. Its move to raise prices of petroleum products would only add “fuel to the fire”, she said.

The government, the CPI (M) leader said, was deliberately concealing the reality of increased poverty in India and was refusing to expand the category of those who came under Below Poverty Line (BPL), thereby depriving many of their rights and share of natural resources.

The draft of the food security bill indicates it would seek to create food insecurity instead of security, she said.

The government also refused to release the unemployment figures though an estimate says 13 lakh people turned unemployed in a year due to recession, she said.

In the Parliament, the party would demand scrapping of the 1894 land acquisition act as it does not assure any right to compensation, long-term profit sharing and right to employment to those who lose their land, the CPI(M) Politburo member said.

The issue of women’s reservation bill would also be taken up by the party, she said.

On Telangana, she said the party would place its views before the committee formed to look into the issue.