Vijayawada: Festival should reflect communal harmony and communalism and hatred should be driven out, said CPM leaders while participating in the Eid celebrations here on Monday. The CPM activists distributed buttermilk during the Ramadan celebrations at various Masjid and Eidgah in Ajit Singh Nagar here on Monday.

Addressing the gathering, CPM state executive member Ch Babu Rao said that the BJP, RSS and other communal elements are making use of festivals to spread hatred and communal riots.

He appealed to the people to be alert to thwart such moves. Religion is a personal issue and the state should not interfere in the religion matters. It should provide adequate protection to the minorities.

Condemning the move by the NDA government to amend the Wakf Act, Babu Rao said that the BJP has been taking away the freedom of religion and bringing communal harmony. The TDP which claims to be a secular party should object to the passing of the Wakf amendment bill.

CM Chandrababu Naidu who claims that he would protect the wakf properties and the rights of the minorities should not support the wakf amendment bill.

Babu Rao called upon for the unity of all secular forces to protect the unity and communal harmony. CPM leaders B Ramana Rao, K Durga Rao, T Pravin, Ch Srinivas, Sk Nizamuddin, Sk Peer Saheb, Rasool, Rasheed, M Babu Rao, Stephen Babu, Krishna Murthy, Konda and others participated.