CPM call for 'secular' unity

TT, New Delhi, March 19: Yogi Adityanath's "shocking" appointment as Uttar Pradesh chief minister has heightened the need for "all democratic and secular forces" to work together and ensure that constitutional guarantees are upheld, the CPM said today.

"The selection of Adityanath has once again exposed the oft-repeated claim of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that development will be its main agenda," a CPM politburo statement said.

"It makes a mockery of his own slogan of ' sabka sath, sabka vikas' (support for all, development of all)."

The CPM, therefore, "calls upon all democratic and secular forces in Uttar Pradesh to unitedly work to ensure the safeguarding of communal amity and the protection of the rights of all sections of the people in accordance with the constitutional guarantees".

The party has long argued that the "democratic and secular forces" should evolve an alternative programme and not just bank on pre-poll alliances.

Describing Adityanath's elevation as "shocking", the politburo said: "This choice by the RSS, executed by its political arm, the BJP, is a deliberate move which bodes ill for the state."

It alleged that the Gorakhpur MP "is a known Hindutva fanatic... and also espouses extremely casteist views".

Adityanath is yet to resign from the Lok Sabha, where he is into his fifth consecutive term.