Left hits back at BJP, says will counter its 'expose' threat

NEW DELH: Blaming the Centre for poor business during the Monsoon Session, Left parties today accepted BJP's challenge of "exposing" opposition parties over disruption of Parliament, and said they will counter the threat "squarely at all levels".

Speaking to reporters here, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and his CPI counterpart S Sudhakar Reddy claimed that the NDA major itself did not want bills like GST to pass as it was apprehensive of losing its regional allies like AIADMK who are strongly opposed to the legislation.

Accusing BJP of being "politically opportunistic", the leaders said the party delayed presentation of a report on Land Acquisition bill by Joint Parliamentary Committee fearing backlash during upcoming Bihar polls.

"We are here to declare it openly if this is the challenge, the BJP and RSS are posing to the Left, then this challenge will be met squarely in all these constituencies. If they are going to create trouble at all level, politically, organisationally, it will be met squarely.

"We shall safeguard communal harmony and fight against those sharpening communal polarisation for their advantage through democratic methods," Yechury told reporters.

On the claims that delay in passage of GST bill will halt economic growth, Yechury said such a campaign is an illusion.

He said it will take at least a year if the bill, a Constitutional amendment, is to be passed and hinted the BJP, despite its majority in Lok Sabha, is not in a position to see the GST bill cleared.

He added the Land Acquisition bill was not pushed through Parliament keeping in mind large section of voters belonging to peasantry.

"In both these things, we see a certain pattern. There is a political opportunism involved in this. The GST, we think will not happen because pushing them through Parliament will make BJP lose allies who are opposed to the bill.