CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury has said the creation of a Cooperation Ministry is aimed at undermining the rights of the States. He said the real motive is to use the money in cooperatives for political funding.
He said Home Minister Amit Shah assuming charge of the cooperatives has a dual strategy. "This is a direct assault on the Constitution's fundamental feature; federalism and controlling the cooperatives, which have direct mass contact with people, are to be utilised for BJP's electoral gains," Yechury said.
He said the move is also aimed at undermining the influence of regional parties, to strengthen the BJP at the expense of destroying the Indian Constitution. "Cooperatives under the Constitution's Seventh Schedule are a State subject. Having looted the public sector banks by granting humongous unreturnable loans to its cronies, who have looted and deserted the country, the Modi Government is now eyeing huge funds in the cooperative sector for similar loot gaining political funding," he added.