Accusing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and other Hindutva forces of fanning communal hatred in the country, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Prakash Karat said here on Sunday that the issue of cow slaughter was being raised to target minorities.

“Ever since the government led by the BJP came to power, the RSS and other Hindutva forces are fanning the communal fire. The attacks on minorities are on the rise, the issue of cow slaughter is raised to target the minorities and in some places, there are also forced religious conversions,” he said while addressing a massive CPI(M) rally in the city.

Another senior CPI(M) leader and Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury said: “To prevent the people’s discontent against the BJP-led government at the Centre from turning into a mass movement, they [BJP] have started a communal jihad and raised the slogan of ghar vapsi [homecoming],” he said.

The CPI(M) leader took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi poll slogan of ‘achhe din aane wale hain’ (good days are to come). “The good days are only for the capitalists and the corporates. Ghar vapsi where people are forcibly converted is continuing. But Modiji was talking about dhan vapsi [return of money] during the polls, but we haven’t seen a single step by this government to bring back the black money,” he added.

Both CPI(M) leaders attacked the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal on the issue of corruption. “This is not a Trinamool government but a ghotala [scam] Congress,” Mr. Karat said.

Mr. Yechury alleged that every other day a new scam surfaced in the State. Mr. Karat blamed the Trinamool for letting the BJP make inroads into West Bengal.