Narendra Modi's government 'concentrating powers' in PMO: CPI

NEW DELHI: CPI today attacked the Narendra Modi government for "concentrating powers" in the Prime Minister's Office, apart from representing a "combination of corporate, right reactionary ideology and communalism".

In a scathing attack, the party said Modi's "style of functioning reflects as if he is not the Prime Minister under a parliamentary democratic set-up but running a presidential form of the government".

"Even in his speech from Red Fort he hinted at further violating the established democratic norms. His authoritarian bent of mind is becoming visible with every passing day," CPI said in a statement at the end of the two-day meeting of its National Executive ( NE) here.

The NE, which reviewed the political and economic situation, said, "Overall, our conclusion that the new dispensation represent the combination of corporate, right reactionary ideology and communalism is being substantiated by the actions and pronouncements of the Modi regime."

While deciding to hold a nation-wide protest day against failure of the government to curb price-rise, the party said Modi's Independence Day speech had "no mention" of inflation and corruption which were the main planks of his electoral campaign.

It also referred to the "heap of concessions" being showered on the corporate, introduction of FDI in defence and railways and "no intention to recover the dues of banks from the corporate" which have been declared non-performing assets.

Maintaining that the government was planning to further divest public sector, it said, "All profit-making PSUs, including Navratnas, are under hammer in the stock market."

"American pressure on Modi government has started affecting our foreign policy as it is always extension of the domestic, particularly the economic policies," the CPI said referring to the government's stand on the Israeli aggression against Palestinians in Gaza and the BRICS summit.

The BJP-led dispensation was "bent upon snatching away all hard earned democratic and trade union rights from workers", the party said.

The CPI National Executive also reviewed preparations for Assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir.