Senior CPM leader Prakash Karat on Thursday cautioned people against the growing threat of “fascist forces” and the “so-called Hindutva”, alleging attempts to undermine the secular spirit of the country and the Constitution itself.

Delivering the Sitaram Yechury Memorial Lecture, Karat said: “The essence of the last 11 years of BJP rule is the drive to create a Hindu Rashtra. Both the BJP and RSS are working towards that goal. Even Mohan Bhagwat has said the RSS’s work can change with time, but the ideology of a Hindu Rashtra will remain eternal.”

Karat noted that for the first time in 100 years of the RSS’s existence, a former Pracharak had become Prime Minister, while several others, including the Union home and defence ministers, held key posts.

“The RSS will not let this opportunity go waste. A systematic effort is being made to turn India into a Hindu Rashtra to suit their political agenda. We have to defeat that force to safeguard the country’s diversity,” he said.

He accused the government of pushing Hindu “vicharadhara (ideology)” into institutions such as the executive, judiciary, armed forces, and even the courts.

“Some high court judgements have also reflected this Hindu vicharadhara. A systematic approach is under way to make it the state’s ideology,” he added.

Karat also flagged the “emergence of the Hindu-Corporate alliance”, alleging that monopolistic capitalism was aligned with Hindutva. Referring to a Delhi court order noting that there should be “no criticism against Adani”, he said: “There is a threat to press freedom. There is a threat to people’s India. Is this the India we should build?”

He said 40 per cent of the nation’s wealth was concentrated in the hands of just 1 per cent of the population, while nationalised banks were being compelled to extend ₹10,000-crore loans to corporate defaulters.

On minorities, Karat cited laws in BJP-ruled states such as Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan, including anti-conversion legislation, cow protection measures, and “love jihad” provisions. In Haryana, he said, cow vigilantes were given “high status” with no action taken against them, while in Assam, laws were being framed requiring permission to purchase land between Hindus and Muslims.

Criticising the government’s economic claims, he said: “A campaign is on that Modi has made India the world’s 5th largest economy. The stark reality is that people’s incomes have fallen and jobs are not available.”

Calling for broader unity, Karat urged engagement with “religious and hard believers” to convince them that Hindutva was being communalised for political gain. “They are not working for tribals or Dalits, but for the capitalists. We need to expose them in every field — socio-cultural, intellectual and academic,” he said.

Other senior leaders, including Janardan Pati, also spoke on the occasion.