Manik Sarkar accuses BJP of ignoring people's problems, pursuing divisive politics

Former Chief Minister and CPI(M) Politburo member Manik Sarkar launched a sharp attack on the BJP government on Monday during the Left Front’s Jail Bharo agitation. 

Addressing supporters, Sarkar alleged that the ruling party is showing little interest in resolving the burning issues of the people, instead choosing to advance what he described as a politics of division.

Sarkar said that under BJP rule, ordinary citizens are facing severe economic distress, with rising costs of living and livelihood challenges going unaddressed. “Despite multiple pressing problems confronting the people of the state and the country, the government has failed to take effective steps to resolve them,” he remarked. 

He accused the administration of attempting to create divisions among communities rather than focusing on solutions to issues directly linked to people’s lives and livelihoods.

The CPI(M) has placed an 11-point charter of demands at the center of its agitation, covering matters such as workers’ rights, farmers’ welfare, employment, and price control. Sarkar claimed the government has shown no positive response to these demands, further reinforcing the perception that it is unwilling to act in the interest of the common people.

He also criticized the role of the police during the agitation, alleging that the BJP government used the administration to obstruct the protest. 

Sarkar argued that instead of deploying barricades and detaining demonstrators, the authorities could have assured protesters that their demands would be considered. “The government’s reliance on police action to block the movement makes it clear that it has no interest in addressing the people’s burning problems,” he said.

Sarkar concluded by affirming that the CPI(M) will continue its struggle in defense of people’s rights and public interest, warning that the movement will persist until the government takes meaningful steps to address the demands raised.