130th Constitution Amendment Bill Proof of Neo-Fascism: M V Govindan

Thiruvananthapuram: CPI M State Secretary M V Govindan on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the BJP government at the Centre, alleging that India is being pushed towards neo-fascist agendas through the 130th Constitution Amendment Bill.

Govindan said that as per procedure, members of Parliament should receive a copy of a bill at least two days prior to its introduction, but this rule was not followed in the case of the amendment bill. He alleged that the bill is designed to be misused against opposition parties, enabling fabricated cases to be filed against political opponents. “Even without conviction, leaders can be forced to resign. If someone is detained for 31 days, on the 32nd day they will be compelled to resign. This is a direct attack on democracy,” he said. He added that the united front of opposition parties will only grow stronger against BJP’s authoritarian moves.

The CPI M leader also referred to the ban on the BBC documentary on the Gujarat pogrom and the government’s actions against those linked to it. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always witch-hunted critics and opponents. “Now senior journalists like Karan Thapar and Siddharth Varadarajan are being targeted. Sedition charges have been imposed against them. Karan Thapar’s interview with Modi 18 years ago, which questioned him on the Gujarat pogrom, is still being used as a pretext for persecution,” Govindan alleged.

He further condemned recent attacks against minorities in Chhattisgarh, where churches and homes of worshippers were destroyed on the “baseless excuse” of illegal construction on government land. “Two nuns were even arrested on false charges of religious conversion. These are deliberate assaults meant to intimidate minorities and expose the Sangh Parivar agenda,” he said.

On the issue of education, Govindan accused the Centre of saffronising higher education. He welcomed the Supreme Court’s observations on the appointment of Vice Chancellors, noting that in West Bengal the SC had made it clear that VC appointments must come from a list including the Chief Minister’s recommendation. “The Centre, with the help of UGC representatives, is attempting to sabotage the higher education sector. The Supreme Court has rightly said UGC representatives should not be included in the VC selection process. This is crucial to protect academic autonomy,” he said.

Turning to electoral concerns, the CPI M state secretary said there are widespread manipulations in the voter’s list. He cited Rahul Gandhi’s statement about discrepancies nationwide and pointed out that nearly 65 lakh people in Bihar had been deliberately excluded. He said strong complaints have emerged from Kerala too, but the Election Commission is refusing to act. “Transparency and credibility in the voter’s list is vital for democracy, but the Election Commission is failing in its duty,” he remarked.

On state matters, Govindan highlighted the Kerala Legislative Assembly’s decision that this Onam, individuals above 60 years of age belonging to the Scheduled Tribe community and not receiving any pension will be given financial assistance of Rs 1,000. He said the decision reflected the state’s commitment to welfare measures.

Govindan also commented on the serious allegations against Youth Congress leaders. He said the issue was not new and had occurred one and a half years ago. “The woman concerned had informed the opposition leader, but no action was taken. Instead, the accused were rewarded with positions. This is how the Congress deals with sensitive matters, protecting the accused rather than seeking justice,” he alleged.

On the demand for action against Youth Congress leader Rahul, Govindan said it was for the KPCC president and Congress leadership to decide whether he should step down only from his Youth Congress post or from the Congress party itself. He also noted that Fathima Tehliya had publicly stated that all the allegations against Rahul were true and must be thoroughly investigated.