In a crucial prelude to the Budget Session, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh led an all-party huddle in New Delhi on Tuesday. CPI’s voice, Rajya Sabha MP P. Santosh Kumar, didn’t hold back, unleashing a barrage of critiques on economic distress, electoral manipulations, security overreach, and diplomatic lapses.
Kicking off with federal finances, CPI spotlighted Kerala’s plight under stringent borrowing limits imposed by the Centre. The state stares down a ₹21,000 crore-plus shortfall this year. ‘Extraordinary crisis demands swift central aid via a special package,’ Kumar demanded, framing it as a test of cooperative federalism.
Electoral processes faced withering attack. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR), per CPI, has devolved into mass disenfranchisement. ‘Rulers now pick voters, inverting democracy’s core,’ Kumar thundered. He branded the Election Commission an emerging ‘eradication body,’ sounding alarms on voter rights.
Operation Kagar came under fire for allegedly targeting innocent Adivasis. CPI insisted on parliamentary tabling of its full dossier—objectives, execution, current status—to ensure democratic oversight and prevent abuses.
India’s global footprint appeared diminished, CPI argued. Muted reactions to Trump’s threats, Venezuela’s chaos, and Greenland tensions signal a weakening of our non-aligned legacy. ‘Time to assert a strong, independent voice,’ they urged.
Back home, ASHA workers’ pending pay raises must materialize, echoing prior ministerial pledges. MGNREGA’s woes—payment delays, fund cuts, reduced days—exacerbate rural unemployment and agrarian strife. CPI pushed for its robust restoration with adequate funding.
The wishlist extended to withdrawing draconian Labour Codes, rejecting the anti-farmer Seed Bill, and rebalancing central schemes to 75:25 funding ratios. With Budget Session imminent, CPI called for substantive debates to protect democratic values, state autonomy, and public welfare.
