Narendra Modi 'spoke like PM' on Ind Muslims, but should check right wing: CPI

New Delhi, Sep 22: Narendra Modi "spoke like a Prime Minister" when he said that Indian Muslims would live and die for the country, but he should check the Sangh Parivar from promoting communal polarisation to back his message of national unity, the CPI said today.

"It is good that he (Modi) spoke like a Prime Minister. But his words should translate into action as the Sangh Parivar have been raising issues of religious divide and so- called 'love jihad' to create tension.

"There is a big campaign unleashed by the RSS-BJP. The Prime Minister should restrain these forces," CPI General Secretary S Sudhakar Reddy told a press conference here.

He claimed that even BJP President Amit Shah has made certain statements in the past to "provoke tensions" while the Sangh Parivar have been "intensifying their offensive for communal polarisation through hate campaigns".

"The Indian Right has become brazen and aggressive (enough) to use the state apparatus to push through its agenda. The change in rhetoric and demagogy does not hide the sinister designs of the BJP-led rule," charged the senior CPI leader.

On Modi's upcoming visit to the US, Reddy said the government should tread "carefully" during negotiations and "not fall into the American trap" of furthering the strategic partnership under which Washington may try to sell India old nuclear reactors which have not been in use for two decades.

"In the name of helping India's power sector, the US will try to push India into accepting such reactors. We don't know yet as to what is on the agenda for the defence sector. Our experience with the US has not been good," he said.

CPI National Secretary D Raja said the US has been pressuring India to dilute the provisions of the nuclear liability law, which would benefit American companies to the detriment of Indian interests.

PTI