From Dispaches CALCUTTA: The Chief Minister, Jyoti Basu has called for an all Out fight against the “undeclared emergency” imposed by the Rajiv Gandhi Government through systematic attacks on parliamentary democracy and attempts to further Centralize power.

Basu was speaking at the Left Front organized function to mark the birth centenary of the Leftist leader Muzzafar Ahmed at the Netaji Indoor Stadium here.

The Chief Minister said the partisan and one-sided role of the government controlled media, the persistent attack on the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) by senior Congress (1) leaders for his report indicating, the Government in the Bofors deal and the move to further centralize power through the Panchayat Bill and Jawahar Rojgar Yogna were all negotiations of parliamentary democracy.

Hitting out at the misuse of Doordarshan and All India Radio Basu said the Government media were being used totally to their advantage while ignoring the opposition or using “indecent language against us.”

Basu accused the Central Government of trying to pass the Panchayat Raj Billin the Rajya Sabha while encroaching on the state’s junsdiction through the Jawahar Rojgar Yojna. The opposition Basu said, would fight these attempts at further centralization both inside the Parliament and outside. He said they would explain to the people the implications of direct funding over the heads of the State Government.

Declaring that the chances of return of the Rajiv Gandhi govt were remote Basu said the opposition was now trying to further strengthen its unity. He said programmes were being adopted and discussions were on how to oust the Rajiv Gandhi Government. Here too he said, the Congress was trying to prevent opposition unity as it would mean a change of government.

The veteran CPI leader, Biswanath Mukherjee, said the left parties had a definite responsibility this time ensuring the ouster of the Rajiv Gandhi Government and installing of an alternative Government.

Article extracted from this publication >>  September 8, 1989