BJP playing communal politics to obstruct Sethu project : Karat

Kolkata, Oct 1 (UNI) CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat today said the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre should carry out the Sethusamudram project by respecting the massive popular demand.

''Every person has the right to strike and the Supreme Court ruling against the strike is illegal and unconstitutional and the BJP and the RSS are playing communal politics to block the project,'' Mr Karat told mediapersons here.

He said the Left had already stood behind the project, adding, ''Our party has decided to campaign state wide for conducting the process. We feel the project should not be delayed.'' He alleged that the Sethusamudram project and the alignment of the canal were decided by the previous BJP-led NDA government but now the BJP and the RSS were obstructing the project on religious ground.

Mr Karat said bereft of raising any people's issue, the BJP was seeking to extract political gains through communal polarisation by the Sethusamudram.

UNI