We want no certificate from Gandhi's murderers: CPI(M) lashes out at BJP

Hitting back at the BJP and RSS for calling them anti-national, CPI(M) on Monday said that the party did not want any certificate from those who "venerate" Mahatma Gandhi's assassin as a "national hero" and said they can't be 'browbeaten'.

Addressing a rally of party workers on the conclusion of the 'Nava Kerala' march, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said "We do not want any certificate from the murderers of Mahatma Gandhi. Our credentials are before the people of the country. Who are these people to call us anti-national and enemies of the country?" Yechury asked.

Coming down on RSS-BJP, he said "the RSS of today, which venerates Nathuram Godse as a national hero, has the temerity of calling us National enemies".

Alleging that a conspiracy was unfolding in the country to convert the nation into a Hindu Rashtra, he said the tendencies of authoritarianism, communal polarization and aggressive neo-liberalism was "RSS vision of converting our secular democratic republic into their concept of fascist Hindu rashtra in our country."

"This is a big conspiracy that is unfolding under the Modi government', he said.

Continuing his attack, Yechury said aggressive communal polarization was to divert the Modi government's failure on all fronts and the "latest attack on party headquarters was also part of it."

"They have threatened me personally at 1:30 AM. They are trying to browbeat us. We will fight and defeat them politically," he said and added that the party knows how to defend itself and the country.

"We will continue to defend irrespective of any of your attacks', he said.

Yechury alleged that the intensification of communal polarization by RSS, which has a hold on the Modi government, was to divert people's attention from its 'misgovernance'.

"The aggression in terms of economic policy is combined with aggressive communal offence and now resulted in the attack on our own party head-quarters in New Delhi on Sunday and in continuation of that attack on other educational institutions like JNU in Delhi', he said.

On the Prime Minister's Foreign policy, he said it was a 'hot and cold policy' and the 'flip flop with Pakistan has resulted in India's image sharply falling and India is considered as a 'junior partner' of U.S.

Yechury also slammed the Congress led UDF government in Kerala and said the Oommen Chandy regime and the previous UPA government of Manmohan Singh were competing with each other over corruption issues.