The Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau has issued the following statements

PMs Statement: Atrocious & Condemnable

THE Prime Minister has stated in a public meeting at Kollam in Kerala that the stand of the LDF government on the Sabarimala issue is “shameful”. This statement is atrocious and highly condemnable. He is admonishing an elected government for implementing the judgement of the Supreme Court.

Modi forgot that he had taken oath on the Constitution of India and he spoke as an RSS pracharak not as the prime minister. His statement constitutes a direct assault on the Indian Constitution and the Supreme Court.

His statement has dangerous implications for the future as it means that any Supreme Court judgement which does not suit the interests of the BJP and RSS will be defied and a government seeking to implement it will be attacked by them. In the history of independent India this is an unprecedented situation.

All those who subscribe to the constitution and secular democratic values will condemn the stand of the prime minister.

(January 16, 2019)

Stop Merger of Public Sector Banks

THE Polit Bureau is deeply concerned at the un-seemly haste with which the government of India has been going ahead with the merger/amalgamation process of three nationalized banks viz., Vijaya Bank, Bank of Baroda and Dena Bank ignoring the collective opposition of the employees and officers together of the entire industry.

The merger of banks is being justified by the government on ground of strengthening and consolidating the concerned banks; but in reality, such a merger will further weaken all the three banks post merger. Problems of public sector banks emanate from the deliberate default in loan-repayment by the big corporate houses. The solution lies in stern action by the government for outright recovery of the huge loan amounts from these defaulter corporates with penalty instead of the futile exercise on merger. 

However, the government has been displaying a totally indulgent attitude to the defaulter corporates and through the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) procedure public sector banks are being forced to accept big reduction of the defaulted loan amount.

Such merger of banks, instead of addressing their basic problems, will actually result in squeezing the banks’ operational areas through inevitable closure of several branches seriously affecting employment. It also affects the spread and availability of banking services for common people particularly in comparatively remote areas.   

The CPI(M) opposes the harmful exercise of merger of banks and calls upon the government to desist from such moves.

(January 15, 2019)

                                                               The CVC Must Go

THE decision to remove the CBI Director, Alok Verma, from his post is an arbitrary and shocking step. It was based on a report prepared by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), which has since been shown to be weak on substantive proof about the allegations.  The CVC report is based on the allegations made by CBI officer, Rakesh Asthana.  Rakesh Asthana’s plea before the Delhi High Court to vacate ongoing investigations on allegations against him has been rejected and the court has directed  that the enquiry be conducted within a timeframe.  Clearly, Rakesh Asthana has been found by the judiciary as facing prima facie charges.

Justice (Retd.) A K Patnaik nominated by the Supreme Court to supervise the CVC enquiry on allegations against Alok Verma has publicly stated that the CVC enquiry found no evidence of corruption against Verma.  Further he said that the findings of the CVC report  are not his and, thus, distanced himself.

More revelations about the questionable role of CVC, K V Chaudhary, in advocating Asthana’s case with the then CBI director have also come into the public domain.  All these facts show that the decision of the prime minister-led committee to remove Alok Verma, violating the principle of  natural justice by  denying him the right to defend himself, is biased and motivated. 

All these also confirm the suspicion that the Modi government was in an utmost hurry to remove Alok Verma in order to prevent  probe into serious cases of corruption involving the highest political leadership and the central government.  These include Rafale scam and many other corruption scandals. 

In the light of these revelations, the Polit Bureau of the  CPI(M) demands that the CVC be removed from office immediately and an enquiry ordered into the manner in which he dealt with the then CBI Director Alok Verma. 

(January 14, 2019)

The Second Coup

THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the decision under the leadership of the Prime Minister Modi to “transfer” the CBI Chief Alok Verma within 48 hours of his reinstatement by the Supreme Court. This decision is to ensure government control over the CBI and to enable its use as a tool to advance its political and electoral agenda. The BJP seeks to intimidate, blackmail and silence government critics/opponents and to protect their loyalists. The Modi government, through this action also seeks to prevent its “skeletons” from tumbling out of the cupboard.

Following the midnight coup of October 23, 2018 on the basis of an unverified and questionable report by the central vigilance commissioner, the Supreme Court found this illegal and reinstated Alok Verma. Through the second coup, he has now been transferred when he is slated to retire soon. This action by the PM Modi overriding a strong dissent and not giving an opportunity to Alok Verma to defend himself against the CVC report is clearly an attempt to prevent the exposure of cronyism, corruption and compromising national security that have emerged against the highest levels of this government. Clearly, the Modi government has a lot to hide. Weeks before the general elections, this move exposes the fear and panic at the possible exposure of various scams including the Rafale deal.

The independence of the institution of the CBI has been completely compromised. This government is desperately attempting to destroy the constitutional institutions as can be seen, apart from the CBI, with the RBI, judiciary, Information Commission and other pillars of Indian democracy.

People of India have seen through this charade and will give a fitting rebuff to the BJP/NDA in the forthcoming general elections.

(January 11, 2019)