The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on July 25, 2026

THE Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly condemns the BJP government’s unconstitutional and authoritarian decision to block the open-source messaging application BitChat. This action marks yet another dangerous escalation in the government’s assault on democratic rights, freedom of expression and the right of citizens to peacefully organise and communicate.

What is particularly alarming is that no official notification or public order was issued by the Government of India. The country came to know of this censorship only through a public post by Jack Dorsey, whose team develops BitChat. Such secretive censorship, carried out without transparency or public accountability, is wholly incompatible with the norms of a constitutional democracy.

The reported order issued by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs reportedly directed GitHub to disable access to BitChat repositories within hours while threatening the platform with punitive consequences. The government’s objection is not to any identified unlawful content, but to the very existence of a communication tool that allows people to remain connected even during internet shutdowns. This exposes the real objective behind the move: to deny citizens the ability to communicate whenever the government chooses to suspend internet services.

This action cannot be viewed in isolation. It comes amid the continuing repression of thousands of students and young people who have been peacefully protesting at Jantar Mantar, demanding accountability for examination irregularities and justice for affected students. Internet services have repeatedly been suspended in the area, metro stations have been closed, barricades erected and peaceful protesters subjected to police repression. The attempt to suppress communication itself is a continuation of these authoritarian measures aimed at crushing democratic dissent.

The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that restrictions on speech and internet access must satisfy the tests of legality, necessity and proportionality. Resorting to opaque executive orders to block open-source software, without transparency or due process, violates these constitutional principles and further undermines the rule of law.

The Polit Bureau demands the immediate withdrawal of the order blocking BitChat, restoration of unrestricted internet connectivity wherever it has been arbitrarily suspended, publication of all such censorship and internet shutdown orders, and an end to the systematic repression of students and youth exercising their democratic right to peaceful protest.

The CPI(M) stands firmly with the students, youth and all democratic forces resisting these authoritarian measures. Peaceful protest, free communication and the right to organise are fundamental democratic rights guaranteed by the Constitution. No government has the authority to extinguish these rights through secrecy, censorship and coercion.

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on July 29, 2026

Assam Floods: Rush Relief, Ensure Adequate Rehabilitation 

THE Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) expresses its deep concern over the unprecedented floods that have devastated several districts of upper Assam.

Over the last four weeks, 75 people have lost their lives and tens of thousands have been displaced in Assam. It is estimated that more than 50 lakh people in over 4,000 villages have been affected by the floods in the state. Widespread death of livestock has also been reported in the floods which have submerged more than 1.5 lakh hectares of farm lands in 30 districts.

The sudden and unprecedented amount of surge of water from the hills of Nagaland compounded by heavy rain in Assam has damaged 3 districts of upper Assam in a scale, not seen in several decades in this flood battered state. Reports indicating that illegal mining and unauthorised construction have weakened or destroyed natural drainage systems and protective barriers, thereby exacerbating the flooding, are a matter of grave concern.

While Assam has witnessed recurrent floods over the years, the magnitude of the present disaster is exceptional. The suffering of the people has been aggravated by the inadequacy of relief and rescue operations. Large parts of the affected districts remain submerged and inaccessible, leaving thousands stranded without adequate food, drinking water, healthcare and shelter. The BJP run State Government of Assam has abjectly failed in its duty of providing security to the lives and livelihoods of the people of the state. This is despite them promising during the assembly election campaign that they would ensure a ‘flood-free’ Assam.

The Union Government is displaying a complete indifference to the people of Assam by not providing adequate assistance to the state in their hour of need. The Union Government must extend all necessary assistance to the State Government to strengthen rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts. With 40 per cent of the state being flood-prone, comprehensive measures should also be taken to ensure a permanent solution to the problem.

The Polit Bureau demands that adequate compensation be provided to all those affected, including the families of those who lost their lives, as well as compensation for the loss of homes, crops, livestock and livelihoods. A comprehensive rehabilitation package should be announced to enable the affected people to restore their lives with dignity.

CPI(M) cadres in Assam are already involved in relief and rehabilitation efforts. We call upon our cadres from adjoining states also to join the same.