CPM accuses Narendra Modi of taking country to 'autocratic rule', urges non-BJP CMs to protect federalism

New Delhi: The CPM on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “trying to move towards an autocratic rule” and appealed to all non-BJP chief ministers to together protect the federal structure of the Constitution. [caption id=“attachment_3889563” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury. PTI[/caption] Party general secretary Sitaram Yechury claimed the prime minister was seeking to convert India’s parliamentary system into a presidential form of government, and charged the Centre with “undermining” the constitutional structure of parliamentary democracy. “Every move that is being conceived of and is being initiated by the government is undermining the constitutional structure of parliamentary democracy,” he said, pointing to state election schedules and moves for simultaneous central and state polls. He accused the government of interfering in a state’s right to maintain law and order through central agencies. “This is precisely what the current prime minister wishes to do — convert the parliamentary system into a presidential form. The blatant misuse of constitutional bodies is to systematically undermine the very Constitution of our country,” he told reporters in New Delhi. “These are the signs of the prime minister moving towards a very autocratic rule,” he added. Yechury appealed to the non-BJP chief ministers to come together to protect the country’s federal structure. “Earlier our demand was to strengthen Centre-state relations, but now we have reached a stage where one has to protect what we have,” he said. Referring to the situation in Kerala, Yechury said the move by the RSS to file a case in the state high court asking for the CBI’s intervention in investigating murders demonstrates “political interests”. “We have no problem with anybody investigating. But law and order is a state subject. That is the essence of the federal structure. If the state police is doing its job, then the purpose of a CBI intervention is to undermine the state’s rights and misuse the CBI for political interests,” he said. These issues would be discussed at the Opposition coordination committee meet to chalk out floor coordination during the next Parliament session, he said. The four Left parties have also decided to meet Tuesday to finalise the action plan for their protest against demonetisation on 8 November, the day the policy was announced last year. Asked why the Opposition had not organised a joint protest, he said, “The Left parties have always believed in marching separately and striking together”.