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Tag: CPIM (M)

  • Comrade Sitaram Yechury Dies at 72

    Comrade Sitaram Yechury Dies at 72

    The CPI-M leader was hospitalized at AIIMS on August 19 for treatment of a chest infection resembling pneumonia….reports Asian Lite News

    CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, who had been receiving treatment in the intensive care unit at AIIMS, passed away on Thursday at the age of 72.

    The CPI-M leader was admitted to AIIMS on August 19 for the treatment of a pneumonia-like chest infection.

    He was being treated for acute respiratory tract infection and had been on respiratory support for some days now, as per a CPI-M statement on Tuesday, adding his condition was “critical but stable”. A multidisciplinary team of doctors was tending to him, it added.

    Yechury had succeeded Prakash Karat as the CPI-M chief in 2015.

    The Left leader, who recently underwent a cataract surgery, was a member of the CPI-M’s Politburo, the top decision-making body, for over three decades.

    He was also a member of the Rajya Sabha from 2005 to 2017.

    Mourning his passing away, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said: “Sitaram Yechury ji was a friend. A protector of the Idea of India with a deep understanding of our country”.

    “I will miss the long discussions we used to have. My sincere condolences to his family, friends, and followers in this hour of grief,” he said in a post on X.

    “ADIEUCOMRADE Sitaram Yechury Students’ Federation of India dips its banner in honour of our beloved comrade, former All India President of SFI and General Secretary of CPI(M), Sitaram Yechury,” the party’s student wing said on X.

    West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in a post on X, said: “Sad to know that Sri Sitaram Yechury has passed away. I knew the veteran parliamentarian that he was and his demise will be a loss for the national politics. I express my condolences to his family, friends and colleagues”.

    Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said: “Deeply saddened by the passing of Sitaram Yechury Ji. His contributions to public life will always be remembered. Heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time. Om Shanti”.

    Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said: “I am deeply saddened by the tragic demise of veteran CPM leader, Sitaram Yechury ji. We had many years of working relations in the Parliament. Extending my deepest condolences to his family, colleagues and admirers”.

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  • What’s Rahul Gandhi up to: Pinarayi

    What’s Rahul Gandhi up to: Pinarayi

    CM Vijayan pointed out that it was due to a complaint raised first by the Congress against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal that he is in jail now….reports Asian Lite News

    Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday slammed Rahul Gandhi and the Congress a day after the INDIA bloc protest rally in Delhi where the latter shared the stage with CPI(M)’s General Secretary Sitaram Yechury.

    Taking potshots at the grand old party, CM Vijayan pointed out that it was due to a complaint raised first by the Congress against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal that he is in jail now.

    CM Vijayan was addressing the media ahead of his election campaign in and around Kozhikode.

    He attacked Rahul Gandhi, who is seeking re-election from the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency and is contesting against INDIA bloc partner CPI’s candidate.

    “We all know that Rahul, though not the president of the party, is the tallest leader in the Congress party. Just see, who is he contesting against in his constituency — Wayanad, it is the CPI’s Annie Raja, the candidate there. It defies logic and rationale as Congress and CPI are part of the INDIA bloc and instead of taking on the BJP he is taking on CPI candidate,” said CM Vijayan,

    “What’s he up to? We all know what happened in Manipur and we also know Annie Raja was put under duress when she spoke against the incidents in Manipur. Did Rahul say anything?” asked the CM.

    Incidentally in Wayanad, the BJP came out with a surprise candidate by fielding its state president K. Surendran.

    In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP-BDJS fought together and Tushar Vellapally was the candidate who finished a poor third.

    He ended up with just around 78,000 votes which accounted for a mere 7.25 per cent, while Rahul Gandhi won with a staggering margin of over 4.31 lakh votes — the highest margin in the 2019 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala.

    Kerala BJP takes a dig at Rahul

     Kerala BJP President K. Surendran on Monday said that Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is scared of Muslim leaders and that is why he is not visiting Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

    “The Ram devotees in Wayanad have started to ask, why Rahul Gandhi is not visiting Ram Mandir. It’s now proved that Rahul’s secularism is one-sided. He is scared of the Indian Union Muslim League, Jamaat-e-Islami and the SDPI that is why he is not visiting Ram Mandir,” Surendran said while addressing the media at Kalpetta in Wayanad.

    Surendran said that Rahul Gandhi may visit Ram Mandir after April 26.

    He said that Rahul Gandhi will visit Wayanad on Monday to file his nomination and while he hugs CPI General Secretary D. Raja in Kerala, in New Delhi, they are opposing each other.

    “People have understood this hypocrisy. Why are you having one political stand in Delhi and another in Kerala? Why did you oppose the appointing of a Schedule Tribe woman for the post of President? Why is the President of India being ridiculed by Congress? The Wayanad constituency that Rahul represents has around 20 per cent Scheduled Tribe community and yet he opposes the President,” he said.

    He said that Rahul Gandhi and Congress protest against the ongoing Enforcement Directorate action on Aravind Kejriwal but will they do the same if ED investigates Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his daughter?

    K Surendran.(credit :BJP/Twitter)

    BJP questions SDPI’s tie-up with UDF

     In a scathing attack on his electoral opponent in the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, Kerala BJP President, K Surendran on Tuesday asked sitting Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to explain the tie-up with SDPI, the political wing of the proscribed Popular Front of India (PFI).

    Surendran attacked MP Rahul Gandhi and his party after top SDPI leaders on Monday said they had decided to support the Congress-led UDF candidates in the April 26 Lok Sabha polls in Kerala.

    Referring to the SDPI as PFI, Surendran said the new-found relation was dangerous to the political fabric of the country.

    “The Congress claims to be a secular party and being so, why are their state leaders now saying that they will have to discuss the statement of the SDPI leaders. In Wayanad also the SDPI has pledged its support to Rahul. Rahul should explain this tie-up,” said Surendran.

    Kerala Congress President, K Sudhakaran said the party will discuss the issue and then make its position clear on the SDPI’s statement.

    “What is baffling is, why should the Congress leadership engage in a discussion on this issue of taking support from a terror outfit? It’s doubtful if there is a deal between the SDPI and the Congress and this has to be explained by the latter,” added Surendran.

    Surendran is contesting against Rahul Gandhi and the CPI’s candidate Annie Raja for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat which the senior Congress leader won with the highest margin of over 4 lakh votes in the state in the 2019 polls.

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  • CPI(M) straining to turn Ponnani ‘Left’

    CPI(M) straining to turn Ponnani ‘Left’

    On paper, the IUML is sitting pretty as ET Mohammed Basheer won the 2019 polls from here with a margin of over 1.93 lakh votes…reports Asian Lite News

    The Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left in Kerala is straining hard to see if after five decades of electoral battles, they can turn the Ponnani Lok Sabha seat towards the ‘Left’.

    The last time the CPI(M)-led Left won from Ponnani was way back in 1971 after which it was a saga of victory for the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second-biggest partner in the Congress-led UDF.

    Ponnani is often referred to as a fortress of the IUML and so confident is the party that it has done some switches this time.

    Its sitting Lok Sabha member, ET Mohammed Basheer, after registering hat trick wins from this seat has been moved to the neighbouring Malappuram Lok Sabha constituency and the league has now shifted the sitting Lok Sabha member, MP Abdussamad Samadani from Malappuram to Ponnani.

    On paper, the IUML is sitting pretty as ET Mohammed Basheer won the 2019 polls from here with a margin of over 1.93 lakh votes.

    The CPI(M) is hoping against hope that the reason why ET Mohammed Basheer was shifted was because he has lost his sheen and the IUML had to bring in its ideologue Abdussamad Samadani.

    However, the CPI(M) has got a prized catch in KS Hamsa a former top IUML leader who has already begun campaigning in a big way.

    On its part, the BJP has brought in Nivedida Subramanian, state President of the BJP’s Mahila Morcha, a popular leader with a favourable family history.

    Her mother, also a former state BJP President was jailed for taking part in a protest march during the Emergency period in 1975.

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