Hailing former West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu for setting up the Panchayati Raj system, the CPI-M Monday said the "great experiment of democratic decentralisation" was under "severe and vicious attack" from the state's new regime.
At the launch of Basu's year long centenary celebrations, Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Prakash Karat attacked the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government for trying to sabotage the upcoming rural body polls and attack the panchayat system.
"The spirit of democracy and the great experiment of democratic decentralisation - the Panchayati Raj system - which developed and flourished under Basu is now under severe and vicious attack," he said.
"We are in the midst of the panchayat election, an election that was sought to be scuttled and sabotaged by the powers that today are ruling West Bengal," said Karat referring to the tussle between the Banerjee government and the State Election Commission over the conduct of the panchayat polls slated to begin July 11.
Showering lavish praise on Basu, Karat said people will defend the legacy of the veteran Marxist leader who made a greater contribution towards deepening democracy in the country.
"If you look back at the entire career of Jyoti Basu, there is no other leader, irrespective of any political party who has shown such a capacity, vision and determination to show that India has and will remain a democratic, federal and secular country," he said.
Karat also credited Basu for showing the way as to how a Communist party should work within the parliamentary forum.