Cutting across party lines, political leaders today expressed concern over the growth of "fascist forces" in the country and suggested a common platform to defeat it.
Addressing the national convention of NGO Anhad on the topic of "India's Descent into Fascism. How to stop it?", the leaders also spoke against the "neo-liberal policies" which they said has led to unplanned development.
Observing that fascist forces are on rise in the country, NCP leader D P Tripathi said the neo-liberal policies and last three decades of "ill-planned" reforms have turned the Indian middle-class into the most insensitive group in the country.
"India is turning into a fascist country very fast and if we don't act now it will be very late," Tripathi said.
He also claimed, "Anti-Muslim bias is rooted in the nature of Indian state. But I don't find the same bias against Christianity and other communities."
The programme was also attended by CPI leader R Raja, LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan and Nilotpal Basu from CPI (M).
Raja lashed out at both BJP and Congress over their ongoing debate for prime ministerial candidate, saying it is against the ethos of Indian democracy.
"It is undermining our democracy. We don't have a two-party system, we don't have bi-polarity in the country. The way these parties are behaving... This is not the way to conduct politics and respect our Constitution," he said.
Targeting BJP leader Narendra Modi, Raja said, "The industrialists praising Modi don't have any answer when I ask them about the lowest Human Development Index in Gujarat. While we are threatened by the growth of communal and fascist forces, the threat is equally big from neo-liberal forces."
Observing that Hitler came to power when Germany was in turmoil, he said, "We are undergoing the same social, economic, political and regional turmoils. Entire South Asia is under turmoil. This is the time to be cautious.
