Cong, Left should keep away from communal forces: Setalvad

The latest political trend, where mainstream parties were striking "questionable" alliances with communal forces for the sake of electoral benefits, would severely affect the stability of the country in the long run, noted Human Rights activist Teesta Setalvad said.

The latest political trend, where mainstream parties were striking "questionable" alliances with communal forces for the sake of electoral benefits, would severely affect the stability of the country in the long run, noted Human Rights activist Teesta Setalvad said today.

"It is astonishing to see major political parties freely joining hands with extremist groups to gain electoral mileage thereby threatening the very democratic set-up of the nation," she said at programme organised by the Calicut Press Club.

Accusing the Left parties in Kerala for aligning with "extremist" outfits like the PDP and the Jamaat-e-Islami and the Congress for accepting support of another "fundamentalist" group NDF, now rechristened as Popular Front of India, the Human Rights activist asked, "How the Marxists are now going to defend their ideologies?"

The Left democratic forces in the country were always known for initiating mass movements supporting social cause and by willing to join hands with PDP and Jamaat-e-Islami, they were degrading from their high standards of principle, she said.

"It is quite unfortunate to see LDF calling Jamaat-e-Islami a cultural organisation when the latter itself is not prepared to declare so," Setalvad said.

The "communal" BJP would benefit the most during the polls due to the "pro-communal" stand being adopted by both the Congress and the Left, she added.