New Delhi, April 3 (IANS) The BJP and the RSS are pumping in "humongous" amounts of money never seen before to win the Lok Sabha polls to create a "Hindu Rashtra", the CPI-M said Thursday.
The manner in which the BJP along with the RSS was spending money to ensure the victory of its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi "is indeed unprecedented", the CPI-M journal "People's Democracy" said.
"The volume of money and resources already spent are, indeed, humongous -- a scale that independent India has never seen before," said an editorial in the journal.
It said the recently enhanced Election Commission's limit on expenditures per candidate per constituency of Rs.70 lakh had already been far exceeded by the Bharatiya Janata Party and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, on just one issue: in projecting the prime ministerial aspirant Narendra Modi.
"If the expenditure generally incurred by the BJP as a political party on its propaganda and on its other candidates nationwide is added, then already more than double of the Election Commission limit would have been exceeded per constituency."
The CPI-M journal said the BJP was getting away with it without any scrutiny because of a serious flaw in law.
Currently, there is no limit on the expenditures incurred by a political party on its election campaign.
The CPI-M said it had all along demanded that like a limit fixed for a candidate's expenditure, a limit too must be fixed for party expenditures.
"Not surprisingly, no other national political party agreed with our suggestion! As a result, political parties with access to lesser resources, though with greater support amongst the people, suffer due to the current rules governing the electoral process in our country.
"There are restrictions placed on wall writings, postering and other means of less expensive propaganda while the more expensive ones like media advertisements, paid news, paid opinion polls, hiring helicopters and private jets to ferry party leaders for campaign have virtually no restrictions imposed.
"Indian democracy is, in today's conditions, rapidly degenerating into democracy as a right that can only be exercised by the moneyed and the privileged. This does not auger well for the future of our democracy."
The journal said the BJP and the RSS want to convert India from a secular democratic nation to a "Hindu Rashtra".
"They see today an opportunity for an unfolding of their vision which they could not on the earlier occasions when the BJP formed a government at the centre."
Ireland elect to bat against India
Hamilton, March 10 (IANS) Ireland captain William Porterfield won the toss and elected to bat f
High Court directs UP to purchase three lakh masks
Lucknow, Feb 25 (IANS) The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court Wednesday directed the Akh
Indian Scientists Design Morphine Replacement for Pain Therapy
Kolkata, Jan 19 (IANS) In a breakthrough that could impact the blurring realms of pain and plea
'This is Modi's war...', US connects India with Russia-Ukraine war amid tariff war
Hours after US President Donald Trump imposed a massive 50 per cent tariff on India, his trade ad
UP orders Social audit of 52,000 Village Panchayats
Lucknow, Feb 20 (IANS) The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered a social audit of all 52,000 vil
Effluents polluting Narmada river
Bhopal, March 13 (IANS) Chemical effluents from factories and waste from towns are steadily tur
Trade unions, employees' unions staged a demonstration
On Friday, protests were held in all departments against the call of the central trade unions and
Oppo's phone will be bumped in terms of price cuts, price, and features
Chinese smartphone company Oppo has once again reduced the price of its smartphone Oppo A12. The
Smartphone maker Lava has launched a cheap smartphone in India. This smartphone is Lava Z3, which
Modi vs Kejriwal vs Sonia on last Sunday before Delhi polls (Roundup)
New Delhi, Feb 1 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and AAP leade
