CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Prakash Karat on Thursday claimed Kerala, under the Left Democratic Front (LDF), remains a stronghold against the BJP’s corporate Hindutva policies and new “fascism”.

He said the real threat today is “new fascism” propagated by far-right governments worldwide.

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Inaugurating the CPI(M) state conference in Kollam on Thursday, Prakash Karat said The Left government in Kerala led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is trying to implement an alternative approach against the neoliberal communal policies in the country.’ He claimed that the BJP suffered electoral setbacks in the last Lok Sabha elections due to resistance from Left and democratic forces, which temporarily stalled its attempts to amend the Constitution.

“Kerala has become a noteworthy example of achieving a high score in human development indicators, and is now taking a leap towards achieving the status of an investment hub. The government here considers that it has a great role to play as a facilitator and a catalyst. We have taken a holistic view and are paying equal attention to all matters from policy formulation to the last mile implementation,” Karat said.

Responding to the criticism leveled by senior Congress leader and opposition leader in the Kerala Assembly, VD Satheesan against the CPI-M that it (CPI-M) is the only party that has taken a position saying the BJP is not a fascist party, Karat said “we are now witnessing globally a new form of fascism, distinct from classical fascism”

He said the ‘new fascism’ is one rooted in prejudice and discrimination against minorities and immigrants. “UDF leader V.D. Satheesan claims that the Left has abandoned the fight against fascism. But what we are witnessing globally is a new form of fascism, distinct from classical fascism,” Karat said. “ The real threat today is “new fascism” propagated by far-right governments worldwide, including the Narendra Modi-led Union government,” he said . He urged the people to come forward against the new fascism.

“For the first time, we have used the term neo-fascism to describe the current political situation. This is not the same as classical fascism, though it shares some of its elements. In every country, fascist forces identify a particular group as the enemy—it could be religious minorities, immigrants, or other marginalised communities. In India, the RSS’s Hindutva ideology has unique features, which is why we have termed it neo-fascism,” Karat said.

Stating that far -right governments worldwide are targeting minorities and immigrants, he said the Modi government is also following the same policy. He said the Left has been resisting this and will continue to do so. “Congress has no right to lecture us on how to fight fascism,” Karat added.

US President Donald Trump came in for sharp criticism from Karat . Calling Trump a “19th-century imperialist who wanted to annex more and more territories”, Karat said Trump is doing is the methods of primitive imperialism of the 19th century.

“In reality, what Trump is doing is the methods of primitive imperialism of the 19th century. Expanding further borders, announcing that Canada will become the 55th state of the United States, and announcing that the Gaza Strip will be turned into a resort if it is given up are all a repetition of the dominance of the primitive era” Karat said.

“Alarmingly, our Prime Minister exhibits similar tendencies. Earlier, India consistently supported the Palestinian cause, but the Modi government has now facilitated arms exports to Israel—an unprecedented move that mirrors the foreign policy shifts of far-right regimes,” Karat added.

The CPI-M leader said some of Trump’s actions and responses in the past six weeks are pointing to his willingness to embrace imperialism through his America First policy.

“China’s rise poses a major challenge to the United States. China is almost on par with the United States in economic, technological, and military areas. To overcome that, Trump is looking to achieve imperialist dominance. He is looking at how to isolate, weaken, and contain China. He first increased tariffs on Chinese products by 10 percent and last week increased them to 20 percent.

“The move is leading to a trade war. It is happening in Canada and Europe. During Biden’s time, Europe and the G group countries were kept together. Today, Trump is even declaring a trade war with Europe,” Karat added.