Bhubaneswar, Nov 08: The CPI (ML) today strongly opposed a Central move to raise special CRPF battalions to tackle left wing extremism in the country saying it was part of a design "to turn India into a police state." "We appeal to all freedom loving democratic forces to come out boldly against this design of state repression", CPI (ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya told a news conference.

The time was also ripe to demand a complete repeal of Pota, he said.

The CPI (ML), he said, would put up 21 candidates in the upcoming assembly elections in four states besides contesting two of the three Bihar assembly seats where by-elections would be held on November 20. The party would field eight candidates in Chhatisgarh, six in Rajasthan, four in Delhi and three in Madhya Pradesh, he said.

Pointing out that the Election Commission was rightly concerned about the partisan role of the bureaucracy in some election-bound states, the CPI (ML) leader said the growing influence of big money virtually threatened to disenfranchise the people.

The government had already legalised corporate funding of elections and relaxed the ceiling on poll expenditure. A move was afoot to double the security deposit for assembly and Parliament candidates which was strongly opposed by the CPI (ML), he said adding these were disturbing trend. Bureau Report