Opposition lacks strategy to counter BJP: SDPI

Mangaluru: MK Faizy, national president of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), said opposition parties, including the Congress, lack a clear and consistent strategy to counter what he termed as "anti-people" tactics adopted by the BJP to retain power.He was speaking at the leaders conclave held at the Indiana Convention Centre in Mangaluru on Tuesday. Faizy criticised the BJP's governance style, alleging that the party follows a three-pronged approach to stay in power. According to him, the first involves targeting a particular community with an anti-Muslim narrative for political gain. The second, he claimed, is the misuse of the country's economic resources to consolidate political dominance. The third, he alleged, involves the misuse of central investigative agencies to suppress dissent.He further criticised opposition parties such as the Samajwadi Party and the All India Trinamool Congress, stating that their alliances are largely limited to election periods and that they fail to strongly oppose what he described as unconstitutional laws introduced by BJP. He also accused some opposition leaders of joining the BJP for power, and alleged that the Congress treats Muslims merely as a vote bank without adequately addressing their concerns during crises.Faizy said minorities in the country are becoming increasingly aware of their political strength, and claimed that the SDPI is expanding its presence, particularly in BJP-ruled states. He expressed confidence that the party is emerging as a significant national political force."Defeating the BJP is not the responsibility of a single party, but a collective responsibility of all opposition parties. Politics should go beyond criticism or the pursuit of power," he said. He emphasised that real development must be measured by access to education, employment and quality healthcare for even the most marginalised sections, and urged minorities and backward communities to move beyond being treated as vote banks, and to actively participate in decision-making processes.