The Communist Party of India (CPI) has said nothing has changed as far as the BJP as a political rival is concerned, irrespective of LK Advani remaining its president. |
CPI General Secretary AB Bardhan said in Bhubneshwar today that the BJP was in disarray after its defeat in the last general elections. The "present blow" had struck at the very ideology of the party, he added. |
The CPI (Marxist) has taken the same line in the current issue of its mouthpiece, People's Democracy to be published on June 12. |
Its editorial titled 'Advani Episode: Crisis In Saffron Gets Deeper' says, "Following the debacle in the 2004 General Elections, the saffron combination has neither been able to come to terms with the defeat, nor has it been able to come to any conclusion regarding its reasons." |
The editorial says the current developments must be seen in the context of RSS chief Sudarshan's statement that senior leaders in the party should make way for a younger leadership. |
The editorial re-interprets two of the explanations being proffered on Advani's actions. It says the first "charitable" interpretation that his was trying to chastise Pakistan for not following Jinnah's "secular" vision was not tenable as it did not find favour with the BJP and the RSS. |
The other interpretation that Advani was trying to "liberalise" BJP's image is also unacceptable because "the BJP functions merely as a political arm of the RSS". When asked whether Advani's purported "image changeover" could pose a serious threat to secular forces, Bardhan said, "Why should we feel threatened? Nothing has changed as far as the BJP is concerned....That is why they are glossing over any debate (on the subject)," he added. |
Both the CPI(M) and the CPI have not offered any explanations about Advani's comments, describing it as an "internal matter" of the BJP. |