West Bengal's CPI(M) not to attend Narendra Modi's swearing-in: SK Mishra

The CPI(M), which faced a complete rout in the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls, today said that no one from the party's West Bengal unit would attend Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony on May 26. "I can say that no one from our state (party) unit is going to attend Modi's rally. Earlier during the previous BJP regime also we had boycotted the swearing-in ceremony," CPI(M) politburo member Surya Kanta Mishra told reporters here. 

When asked whether the CPI(M) as a party nationally would boycott Modi's swearing-in, Mishra said, "I am not the spokesperson of the politburo. This can be answered by them only," said Mishra. With the chorus for leadership change at the top growing louder within the party over its distratrous performance in the Lok Sabha polls, Mishra said, "The demand for change from the top right now is ancharism and nihilism. There is a process of party conference where leadership is reconstituted and it is going to start very soon."

Mishra, who is also the leader of opposition in the state Assembly, wrote a letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today asking the state administration to take steps in order to stop alleged attacks perpetuated by Trinamool workers on CPI(M) activists across the state.

"CPI(M) and Left workers are being attacked across the state. The state government and the administration should act impartially and should ensure the safety and security of our party workers," said Mishra.