New Delhi: Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) is facing criticism from other major Left parties for its recent Draft Political Resolution, which refrains from labeling the Narendra Modi government as “fascist” or “neo-fascist.” This marks a deviation from the party’s previous stance and has sparked a debate within the leftist political spectrum.

According to a statement by Kashmir Media Service, other prominent Left parties, such as the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation (CPI(ML)L), have maintained a more critical view of the Modi administration. The CPI has referred to the government as “fascist,” while CPI(ML)L claims that “an Indian fascism has been put in place.” The CPI-M’s apparent shift in ideology follows the death of its General Secretary, Sitaram Yechury, last September, who had previously labeled the BJP-RSS as “fascistic.”

The CPI-M’s draft resolution addresses the concept of Hindutva corporate authoritarianism evolving towards neo-fascism if the BJP-RSS coalition is not challenged. While the draft describes the BJP as the “political front of the fascistic RSS,” it stops short of labeling the current government as neo-fascistic.

CPI-M’s communication to state units acknowledges the introduction of the term “neo-fascist” in their resolution for the first time. The party differentiates between classical fascism, linked to imperialism, and neo-fascism, associated with neoliberalism.

Previous resolutions under Yechury’s leadership had highlighted “emerging fascistic trends” and a “fascistic agenda of the RSS,” indicating a more direct approach in their critique of the Modi government. The current resolution, however, suggests a nuanced perspective on the evolving political landscape in India.