Kolkata: The CPI-M on Sunday went all guns blazing against the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and the Mamata Banerjee regime in West Bengal, and called for uprooting both the BJP and the Trinamool Congress, saying one was spreading poison while the other has taken the state on the road to destruction.
Addressing a rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds kick-starting the Communist Party of India-Marxist's five-day plenum here, Marxists leaders called for strengthening the Left parties, asserting that they alone had viable alternative policies.
Expressing alarm over the Centre "spreading communalism across the country" and the Banerjee government taking Bengal on the brink of disaster, former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, presiding over the rally, gave a call for the removal of the BJP and the Trinamool to save the country and the state.
"The BJP is spreading poison, spreading fire, and the country will be ruined. We have to remove the BJP.
"The Mamata government has taken Bengal to the verge of destruction. This state is bankrupt, people here don't have a future... This can't be allowed," said Bhattacharjee giving the call of "BJP hatao, desh bachao" (remove BJP, save the country) and 'Trinamool hatao, Bengal bachao" (Remove Trinamool, save Bengal).
Exhorting party activists to prepare for the 2016 assembly polls, Bhattacharjee said: "There is a big battle ahead, and we have to be prepared. We will fight it to win it. We have to win it."
Ridiculing Modi over his frequent foreign visits, CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury said superficial talks between leaders will not succeed in strengthening India-Pakistan relations.
"Modi had said 'we won't talk to Pakistan unless they stop terrorism'. Now talks have started.
"Talks are needed. Talks should take place. Relations between the two countries need to be strengthened. For this, we are with you.
"But you cannot hear (Pakistani) ghazal singer Ghulam Ali in Mumbai. You won't allow the Pakistan cricket team to play here. This sort of superficial talks will yield no result," he said.
Continuing the attack, politburo member Brinda Karat asserted that the Marxists will not yield a "single inch" in Bengal to the divisive forces of the BJP and the RSS and ridiculed the Trinamool for not standing up against the BJP's spread of communal intolerance.
"When the whole country was protesting, people were returning their awards, the Trinamool MPs were nowhere to be seen.
"Well, they were either in jail or on bail for Saradha," said the Marxist leader referring to the multi-crore-rupee chit fund scam in which many Trinamool leaders have been indicted.
Flaying Banerjee for Bengal topping the country in crimes against women, Brinda Karat said the Trinamool and the BJP had a "tacit understanding".
Stressing the need to reach out to people disillusioned by the Trinamool, politburo member and Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said Bengal will play a leading role in developing a strong Left democratic alternative that was the need for the country.
"The alternative of the Left forces will show a new path. This Left democratic alternate is not possible sans Bengal. We need to unite and strengthen the Left forces," said Sarkar.
Even as he stressed on rebuilding the party and bringing back people to the party fold, CPI-M state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra said there were certain "unwanted elements" within the party.
CPI-M Kerala secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan dubbed the Modi regime a "government by, of and for the corporates, which was pursuing pro-rich policies.
He also charged the Trinamool with unleashing ajungleraj' in Bengal.
Marxist leader and Left Front chairman Biman Bose lambasted the Banerjee regime over a host of issues and asserted "reinstating the non-existent democracy in Bengal".
The Trinamool in turn ridiculed the CPI-M's assertion of making a comeback in the state.
"Their mass rally lacked the masses. Not a single speaker could put forward anything that might make the people forget about the 34 years of misrule and start thinking about bringing a change," Trinamool secretary general Partha Chatterjee said.
