CPI-M leader Md Salim backed Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi after their Delhi protest detention, urging stronger anti-BJP unity. Addressing a Kolkata rally, he criticised the BJP, Delhi Police, and Union ministers while calling for united opposition to protect democracy and employment.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has extended strong support to Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi following their detention during a protest in New Delhi, with senior CPI-M leader Md Salim urging opposition parties to unite against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Speaking on Wednesday, CPI-M Politburo member and West Bengal State Committee Secretary Md Salim expressed solidarity with Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi. The Congress leaders were detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday while participating in a protest in the national capital.
Salim said the demonstration in Delhi had continued for nearly twenty days, but Congress had not been visibly active in the agitation until recently. According to him, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi’s participation in the protest sent a strong political message, particularly to people in northern India.
He noted that the CPI-M leadership had visited the protest site to express solidarity with the Congress leaders, describing the move as an important step towards strengthening the morale of people opposing the BJP. While criticising the Congress for its earlier absence from the agitation, Salim acknowledged Rahul Gandhi’s role in bringing together political forces opposed to the BJP.
Calling for broader political cooperation, Salim stressed that all parties and citizens opposed to the BJP should come together to defend democratic values and address issues affecting the country. He said unity among opposition parties was essential to counter the ruling party and respond to growing public concerns.
On the same day, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the CPI-M, organised a rally near the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. As permission for the rally was not granted, the organisation instead held a protest meeting at Raja Subodh Mallick Square in central Kolkata. The gathering focused on demands for corruption-free municipal governance and protection of hawkers facing eviction.
Addressing the meeting, Salim launched a sharp attack on the BJP, accusing it of using bulldozers and police action as symbols of political power. Referring to the police action against protesters in Delhi, he alleged that the lathi charge reflected an attempt to suppress democratic protests rather than maintain law and order.
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The CPI-M leader also criticised Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, accusing him of acting in the interests of the ruling party rather than addressing public concerns. He alleged that BJP ministers were disconnected from the struggles of ordinary citizens and claimed that recent protests had exposed these realities.
Highlighting employment issues, Salim said young people were losing confidence due to the lack of recruitment in sectors such as railways, banks and post offices. He argued that the younger generation deserved greater employment opportunities and called on the opposition to raise these concerns collectively.
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Condemning the Delhi Police action at Jantar Mantar, Salim alleged that force had been used against students and youth engaged in peaceful protests instead of being directed at criminal elements or corruption. He maintained that such actions weakened democratic institutions and reinforced the need for a united opposition front against the BJP.
