Cong should draw lessons from BJP: CPI

Vijayawada, May 31 (UNI) The Communist Party of India (CPI) tonight said the Congress should draw lessons from the BJP's success in the Karnataka Assembly elections.

BJP coming to power for the first time in South India is a warning to the Congress and other secular democratic forces, CPI national secretary D Raja said at a public gathering here.

Due to the misdeeds of the Congress BJP emerged successful in Karnataka, he added.

He said the Congress had faced defeat in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections earlier, and added that unless the Congress changed its policies the people would give their mandate against it, which would be a challenge to the party's survival in New Delhi, he claimed.

On the Gujjar agitation, he said the BJP Government in Rajasthan had deceived them.

Mr Raja said CPI was of the opinion that there should be a viable alternative for both the BJP and Congress to protect the nation in the future.

The CPI leader said even after 60 years of India's independence, millions of people were homeless and the Bharat Nirman Programme introduced by the Centre was a farce.

In any challenging situation, the red flag would be the flag of struggle and agitation, and the party cadres were prepared to make any sacrifices for the people, he claimed.

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