Census data release timed to secure gains for NDA in Bihar polls: CPI(M) Secretary Yechury

Hyderabad: On Thursday, CPI(M) charged that the release of census data on religion by the NDA government was "timed to derive electoral benefits" in the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls.

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury further claimed that the Narendra Modi government was now demonstrating the same "paralysis" that had "happened in the previous Manmohan Singh government".

Accusing the BJP-led government at the Centre of pursuing policies oriented towards sharpening communal polarisation, he alleged that that the census data release was timed to secure "electoral and political benefits" for NDA.

"This is the sort of manipulations that we are seeing," he said while remarking that he "does not remember it ever happening" that Census office was asked not to release the data which had been already prepared.

"Bihar election is coming," Yechury pointed out while terming the data released by the Union Home Ministry "piece- meal" and lacking in analysis and tables.

The census data on religion was released by the Centre on Tuesday, more than four years after the compilation of the data. The caste data is yet to be made public.

The ruling JD-U in Bihar had yesterday slammed the BJP- led NDA for releasing the census data on religious communities instead of caste data, alleging that it was an attempt to create "religious polarisation" ahead of polls later this year in the state.

Meanwhile, criticising the government's economic policy, Yechury said it was taking "some temporary measures" to bring down the prices of onions, but asked what "was the import- export policy they had on food-grains and essential commodities?"

"Every thing is ad-hoc, knee-jerk reaction... without any planning in economic sphere," he charged. The CPI(M) leader said that Modi had visited 24 countries and promised incoming investments of thousands of crores of rupees, but "nothing had come so far."

"The world is going through financial turmoil. Sensex is wildly fluctuating. Now, in this situation, what are the measures being taken to protect our economy?" he asked.

"It's not the stock market alone, what's the impact on people... how are you protecting the people... complete paralysis that had happened in Manmohan Singh government... has come to this government after one year (in power)," he alleged.