Oppression of Dalits 'intensified' under right wing rule: Prakash Karat

CPI(M) on Thursday targeted right-wing outfits alleging oppression of Dalits has "intensified" with their ascent to power as it referred to Hyderabad Central University student's suicide to say that "caste bigotry" continues in India.

"The biggest failure of state is to render justice to the most oppressed in society, the Dalits. With the advent of rightwing Hindu chauvinists (to power), the oppression has intensified," former party general secretary Prakash Karat said.

He added "the ghastly burning to death of two Dalit children in Faridabad and tragic end of Rohith Vemula who was driven to commit suicide in Hyderabad University tells tale of this continuing caste bigotry."

Karat made the comments in forthcoming editorial of party mouthpiece 'People's Democracy'.

The leader observed financial inequalities are on the rise in the country with concentration of wealth in the hands of a few as the state, he added, has "abandoned" directive principles enshrined in the Constitution to promote welfare of people and "minimise inequalities in income".

"The direction of the state and policy-making are contrary to these goals set out in the Constitution. Much of the conflicts and crises in our system can be attributed to this contradiction, political democracy co-existing with concentration of wealth and economic inequalities," Karat noted.