Press Release, May 1, 2018
Dr. Prem Singh, Socialist Party (India)
The Socialist Party considers the BJP government’s recent decision to place the Red Fort on mortgage with Dalmiya business house to be a crime against the nation. The party opposes this decision of the government and, in this regard, would like to place four points before the citizens of the country for their kind consideration:
1. If the priceless resources—water, forest, land—of the country including education, health, defense, railways, etc. are to be sold into private hands, then what is the need and role of governments in the country? Are the governments in power only to contest elections with the help of uncountable amount of money collected by corrupt methods and, after winning elections, to enjoy luxurious life during and after their tenure at the cost of peoples’ hard earned money?
2. Is there no opposition in the country which would raise a decisive voice against the sale of the national heritage? Is there an inherent consensus in favour of privatisation and corporate houses among the ruling and the aspiring political parties? Otherwise, why do they just issue hollow statements on the harm caused by selling off national assets and heritage to corporate houses?
3. Today, on the occasion of the Labour Day, the Socialist Party would like to state that the huge amount of money in the hands of a few corporate houses has been accumulated through the exploitation and the loot of working classes and through corruption done in connivance with the politicians / bureaucrats.
4. The Socialist Party, which does not believe in ensnaring voters with baits of false promises and communal–caste agendas, cannot hope to be too popular during election times. Therefore, it has no political power to oppose such moves of the government in a incisive manner.
The party has decided to hold a symbolic dharna at Gandhi Samadhi Rajghat on 3 May 2018, at 5 pm. All Indian citizens who are proud of country’s national heritage and are against the government’s decision are cordially invited to take part in the sit-in.
