Expressing solidarity with victims of the 2008 Kandhamal riots in Odisha, leaders of opposition parties today called for defending democracy, which they said was under attack.
They were speaking at a discussion held here 10 years after the riots that broke out following the killing of Swami Lakshmanananda in Odisha.
Since 2014, a "new liberal fascist power" has emerged in the country under which attacks on constitutional and democratic rights of the people, especially the Dalits and the minorities, have gone up, CPI leader D Raja alleged during an event 'Kandhamal: Never Again'.
He also said a broad-based coalition was required to "stop the onslaught" of the RSS-BJP combine.
The Kandhamal riots in 2008 claimed several lives and churches were vandalised in the aftermath of the killing.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Gopal Rai said the RSS-BJP was working "more aggressively" and there was a situation of establishment of a "fascist" regime in the country.
He expressed concern over the "negative"thinking in the country despite modernisation and technological development.
Rai alleged that the RSS and its affiliates have mastered the "art of cultural religious polarisation" in the country.
"Merely replacing the BJP in the 2019 general elections will not stop hate and polarisation. Therefore, a long term campaign is needed to fight it," he said.
CPI(M) leader Subhashini Ali and Congress leader Bhaktcharan Das also participated in the discussion.
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