BJP misleading people, spreading misinformation about opposition: CPI(M)

NEW DELHI: CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Monday lashed out at the BJP for allegedly misleading the people of the country and spreading misinformation about the opposition parties who have shown solidarity with the farmers.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had accused the opposition parties of having “double standards” for opposing the farm reforms enacted by the Narendra Modi government and cited their earlier support to many provisions of the new laws.

“The BJP should stop trying to mislead the people and spread misinformation," said Yechury.

"Mr Prasad mentioned that all these parties which were part of the UPA had supported such a law, I want to make it clear that as long as the Left parties were supporting there was nothing like this that was discussed, this is absolute untruth,” said Yechury.

Prasad while speaking to the press also said that NCP leader Sharad Pawar, who was agriculture minister in the UPA government, had asked states to amend the APMC Act and had even warned them that the Centre will not provide financial assistance in absence of three reforms.

“When the Modi government has enacted these provisions, all these parties are opposing them. This exposes their 'shameful double standards',' he said.

However, Yechury said what Pawar did was “consultation” and was the right way to go about any new legislation.

“In 2010, Sharad Pawar wrote letters to all chief ministers. That was a consultation process which was started from the CMs which is the right way to go in a federal polity,' he said.

'This is exactly what the BJP government has bulldozed over. Now that consultation did not proceed into a law. No laws came. The government and its ministers should stop this misinformation and misleading the people. They should accept the genuine demands of the kisans,” he added.

Yechury also slammed the government for the construction of the central vista project.

“No money for much needed cash transfers & free food to crores of people pushed into poverty & misery. But enough for PM Modi's exuberant whims. Looting public money for new planes & a new house for PM. All this during people's sufferings in this raging pandemic,' Yechury tweeted.

“Hope the SC's order that permits PM Modi's bhumi pujan and not construction of CV (central vista) doesn't end up like the similar assurance given by the then BJP UP government of performing only the shilanyas and assuring protection of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya,” he said.

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Centre to proceed with the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the Central Vista project on December 10 after the government assured it that no construction or demolition work would commence till the apex court decides the pending pleas on the issue.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar that there would be only foundation stone-laying ceremony, and no construction, demolition or felling of trees would be done for the project as of now.

The Central Vista revamp, announced in September last year, envisages a new triangular Parliament building, with seating capacity for 900 to 1,200 MPs, that is to be constructed by August, 2022 when the country will be celebrating its 75th Independence Day.

The common Central Secretariat is likely to be built by 2024 under the project against which various pleas have been filed.

Modi will lay the foundation stone on December 10 and the construction is expected to be completed by 2022 at an estimated cost of Rs 971 crore, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had said on December 5.