Let Congress decide on alliance: Mamata Banerjee

Nov 19, 2011 |

IANS

Kolkata

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"Decide whether you want to stay with us or not" – was a fresh ultimatum served to the Congress party by Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday after a protest rally by Youth Congress against alleged attacks on party workers by Trinamool activists.

A fiery Banerjee said the Congress has to decide both at the centre and the state whether to carry on the alliance with the Trinamool and indicated that her party is not dependant on Congress to run the state government.

"It is for the Congress to decide whether to support Trinamool or extend indirect support to Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M). It will be sorted out because this thing cannot go hand in hand. They (Congress) have earlier done the same thing. Trinamool doesn't want to stay with political parties which have covert relations with CPI-M," said Banerjee.

Banerjee said it was for the Congress to decide whether they want to stay with Trinamool or forge an alliance with the Communists.

"Some Congress leaders are abusing us everyday. They don't understand the ground situation. What do they think? We can also abuse them but we don't believe in such indecency in coalition politics. There is a difference between Delhi (central government) and Bengal (state government) I have said this thing earlier also. In Bengal the people have given us absolute majority," said Banerjee.

She indicated that the Trinamool-led state government can function without the support of the Congress.

The Youth Congress on Friday took out a protest rally against alleged violence by Trinamool Congress activists on Congress workers across the state.

"In the past also they had given support to the CPI-M. We are ready to fight against CPI-M, Congress and Maoists. What are they trying to achieve by taking out this rally in the South Kolkata area just before Lok Sabha by polls. Do they want to strengthen the hands of CPI-M? If they are taking out rallies then we can also take out rallies. People of Bengal are well aware of everything. They are with us," said Banerjee.

Asked whether she will register an official complaint with Congress president Sonia Gandhi or the prime minister regarding the rally, Banerjee said: "I don't believe in complaining. I hope they will get the message from what I said just now. Everyday they are beating our supporters in Malda and Murshidabad. Such things cannot go on. It's better for both Trinamool and them (Congress) to go on their own ways."

Earlier, on the issue of repeated petrol price hikes, Banerjee had threatened that her party - the second largest partner in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) - would not stay with the central government and demanded a rollback.

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