CPI(M) today fell back on B R Ambedkar's 'political democracy cannot coexist with glaring social and economical inequalities' remark to attack Centre, claiming his words were "coming true" under the Narendra Modi regime, which it alleged is committed to "re-design" the Constitution.
On the occasion of Republic Day, the CPI(M) also alleged that each of country's institutions has seen changes, marking "subversion of founding principles" of the Republic, under the BJP-led government and insisted it should not have "free run and must be stopped".
In the weekly editorial of party mouthpiece 'People's Democracy', former CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat said no institution is immune to "authoritarian-Hindutva impulses" under the present central government.
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Referring to demonetisation, the Marxist leader said the manner in which the decree was implemented damaged the the institution of RBI.
Karat further referred to the latest Oxfam report on inequality, saying the country's richest people, who form one per cent of its populace, hold 58 per cent of its total wealth and averred "savage" demonetisation will only deepen the "problem" given livelihood of millions of Indians suffered allegedly due to the move.
"Democracy becomes increasingly a formal right for citizens when faced with this massive economic disempowerment. Verily, Dr Ambedkar's warning that political democracy cannot coexist with glaring social and economic inequalities is coming true," he said.
"Republic Day 2017 is, therefore, an occasion for sober stocktaking of how the regime inimical to the secular-democratic ethos of the Constitution is going about devaluing and undermining its institutions. They should not have a free run. They must be stopped," he added.
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