From temple donation theft to scrapping MNREGA, CPI declares nationwide campaign to protest Centre's 'disastrous policies'

The Communist Party of India (CPI) on Thursday announced a nationwide political campaign ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which begins on July 20, culminating in a massive rally titled "Badlaav Zaroori Hai" (Change is Necessary) at the Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on September 1. The party accused the Union government of pursuing "disastrous policies" and remaining insensitive to the hardships of workers, peasants, youth, students and women.

CPI General Secretary D. Raja said the party would hold padayatras and other forms of mobilisation in every state from August 6 to 15, reaching villages, small towns and cities to highlight what the party called the Modi government's failure to address livelihood issues. The campaign will culminate in the September 1 rally, with party workers expected to arrive by train from across the country.

"Our whole purpose is to reach out to large sections of the people and explain to them how the Modi government has completely failed to address the problems of livelihood," Raja said.

Raja raised the issue of alleged embezzlement of devotee contributions meant for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, criticising Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for what he described as an attempt to deflect blame onto the opposition rather than address the allegations. "The trust has defamed itself. The trust has betrayed the trust of the people," he said, calling for Adityanath to respond "responsibly and reasonably."

He also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the matter, contrasting it with his 2024 election campaign remarks in Odisha, where he had promised a transparent probe into the alleged theft of gold and silver from the Ratna Bhandar, the treasury of the Jagannath Temple in Puri. The CPI reiterated its demand for a high-level, transparent judicial probe, stating that resignations alone would not suffice and that no one involved should be allowed to go unpunished.

On rural distress, Raja flagged rising unemployment and under-employment, citing the dismantling of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). He said the scheme that replaced it has placed additional financial burden on state governments, several of which have struggled to implement it, and demanded restoration of the original MGNREGA.

On the ongoing student protests over examination question paper leaks, Raja said the government must own up to "moral responsibility" and accused it of failing to act despite widespread demands, including from teachers, for the resignation of the concerned minister. He also pointed to growing use of the term "coaching mafia" in media coverage, saying it reflected the scale of exploitation in the sector.

The party voiced support for restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, contrasting the situation with unfulfilled statehood demands from Delhi and Puducherry, and noting that Jammu and Kashmir, unlike those territories, previously held statehood before it was revoked following the abrogation of Article 370. The CPI called on the Union government to be "sensitive and positive" to the demand, which it said was backed by all democratic forces in the country.

The CPI reaffirmed its long-standing support for the Women's Reservation Bill, recalling the contributions of former CPI women MPs, including Geeta Mukherjee and Jyotirmoyee Sikdar, in building public opinion on the issue. Raja accused the government of using delimitation and procedural tactics to delay implementation. The party said women's organisations across the country would hold a protest on July 28, coinciding with the start of the Parliament session, while youth and student organisations would separately protest unemployment the same day.