Coimbatore car blast should not be utilised for political gains: CPI

CHENNAI: CPI general secretary D Raja on Monday said that the truth behind the Coimbatore car blast should be exposed, but it should not be utilised for political gains to criticise and defame the State government.

“The blast should be condemned. Whoever is involved in the act of terrorism should be properly investigated and punished. But this incident should not be utilised for political gains to criticise and defame the state government,” he said, on a visit to the city after he was elected as general secretary for the second successive term at the party congress in Vijayawada this month.

Raja said that his party’s congress in Vijayawada had discussed several issues including the latest political development, the BJP government’s attempt to divide the people into religious lines and utilising the office of governors to target duly elected State governments.

He appealed to all like-minded secular political parties to unite and dislodge the BJP government at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to protect the Constitution, democracy and state rights. “Just like how the Secular Progressive Alliance is working in Tamil Nadu, secular parties, Left parties and social organisations should work together in other states to overthrow the fascist regime,” Raja said.

CPI leader claimed that governors, instead of discharging their functions within the constitutional framework, were conducting themselves as agents of the Central government in the non-BJP ruled states. His party endorsed the popular view among the people that the gubernatorial post should be wound up, he said and added that those who criticised the Centre were branded as urban naxalites’, terrorists, Maoists and anti-nationals, he said.

He also sought a comprehensive probe over the sudden collapse of the recently renovated bridge in Morbi city of Gujarat that claimed at least 134 lives.

Raja congratulated Brazil’s Lula da Silva, who emerged as the country’s new president after defeating Jair Bolsonaro, and said people there realised that the policies of the Left parties are better and voted accordingly.