It’s a fight against anti-people BJP govt, says CPI’s Inner Manipur candidate

Imphal: For the Communist Party of India (CPI), the ongoing general elections is about fighting the “anti-people and pro-corporate, undemocratic dictatorial BJP government”, the party’s candidate for Inner Manipur seat Moirangthem Nara Singh said on Monday.
Singh, who is fighting Lok Sabha elections for the fourth time, believes that the people of Manipur will play their part in voting out the BJP which has “shown its true saffron colours” during the last two years of its rule in the state.
“They are a communal party and are trying to impose their agenda through Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) and implement the Hinduvta philosophy,” Singh told PTI here. He said people have to understand the underlying motive why the BJP is forcefully trying to implement the CAB. “It is because of the philosophy they have and their saffronisation programme has to be fought,” Singh added.
He further said CPI has been “opposing this kind of ideology and have been fighting against it” right from the very beginning.
“We have been saying that BJP’s policy is anti-people, pro-corporate and it is an undemocratic dictatorial government. They are trying to do whatever they want,” he claimed. Referring to the crackdown last September on students and teachers of Manipur University who were demanding the removal of then Vice Chancellor of Manipur University, AP Pandey, he said the whole approach of the state government during the crisis highlighted its “high-handed” attitude.
“Why did the removal of a VC of an university became such a huge issue and made people of the state suffer? The midnight crackdown on students of Manipur Univesrity and putting students and teachers in jail shows that this is a dictatorial government,” he said.
When asked what significant role can CPI play in national politics considering the fact that it has become a fringe player, he said,”In the political life of an organisation there are many ups and downs. The purpose for which we have been fighting are for the people and we are gaining momentum.”
Projecting a “crucial role” for the party, he claimed an alternative government will be formed by an alliance of with other parties who are “secular and democratic”.
“We are confident, some more parties will also join our alliance after the results are out. We will be able to defeat BJP,” he added.
The CPI has won the seat twice in the past and in the last three Lok Sabha polls, Singh continued to be runners-up, losing to Congress’s Thokchom Meinya.
When asked about Congress, Singh said,”Congress and BJP are the same. It is just that their names are different but their ways of doing things are the same.”
He further said, “People of Manipur were unhappy with the Congress and they thought BJP would be a better option but now they have realised in the last two years of BJP rule in the state that this party is no different. They are fed up with them, with the way how they have ruled the state.”
Polling in the Inner Manipur seat would be held on April 18. (PTI)