COMMUNIST Party of India (Marxist) leader Prakash Karat on Thursday criticized the Narendra Modi government and former US President Donald Trump, accusing them of advancing “far-right” ideologies.
Speaking at a state party conference, Karat alleged that both leaders were driving their respective nations toward imperialist and neo-fascist policies.
Karat described Trump as an imperialist leader seeking American global dominance, while he referred to the Modi government as a “Hindutva Corporate regime” exhibiting “neo-fascist” tendencies.
He argued that India’s growing closeness with the US had positioned it alongside global oppressors, citing arms exports to Israel during the ongoing war with Palestine.
He further criticized India’s involvement in the Quad alliance with the US, Japan, and Australia, claiming it was formed solely to counter China. He warned that India’s strategic alignment with the US, particularly under Trump’s influence, could lead to diplomatic isolation from developing nations.
Karat accused the opposition Congress in Kerala of undermining CPI(M)’s efforts to counter the BJP and RSS by questioning the Left’s use of the term “neo-fascism.” He alleged that the Congress was engaging in “cheap politics” instead of recognizing the real ideological battle.
He pointed to the deaths of several CPI(M) workers, allegedly at the hands of RSS activists, as proof of who was actively resisting the BJP in the state.
Explaining his use of the term “neo-fascism,” Karat said it differed from traditional fascism by incorporating elements of neo-liberalism and Hindutva ideology. He warned that if left unchecked, these tendencies could develop into full-fledged fascism.
Karat also took aim at Trump, likening his policies to 19th-century imperialism. He claimed Trump had displayed expansionist ambitions, citing past remarks about controlling Greenland, the Panama Canal, and even suggesting Canada as the 51st US state.
The CPI(M) leader’s statements come at a time of heightened political discourse in India, with the Left continuing to position itself as the primary ideological challenger to the BJP-led government.
