Mollah censured for Buddha, Nirupam attack
Left red-faced by Abdur Rezzak Mollah’s outburst against outgoing chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and state industry minister Nirupam Sen, the CPI(M) leadership on Tuesday censured the former land and land reforms minister and party state committee member. The action was taken in the state committee meeting which was held to review the Left Front’s electoral debacle in the polls. The meeting was chaired by senior leader Benoy Konar.
Sources said that party state secretary Biman Bose cautioned Mr Mollah that he must not make any public criticism against any party leader. “At a time when the party and the Left Front have suffered such stupendous debacle, it was your responsibility to stand by party colleagues. However, you did the opposite,” Mr Basu was quoted as saying.
The move was prompted by the party’s fear that Mr Mollah’s attack may open the floodgates of self-criticism. Sources said it was the politburo which decided on Monday that Mr Mollah should be pulled up.
When he emerged from the state committee meeting on Tuesday, Mr Mollah was his usual chirpy self. When asked if he said something in the meeting, he said: “No, I listened because sometimes one should keep silent.” His close associates, however, said Mr Mollah could not be gagged. Even on Tuesday he said he carried out the job he was assigned by winning his own Canning East seat and ensuring the party’s victory in neighbouring Bhangar.
The CPI(M) state committee meeting was attended by all the important leaders, including Mr Bhattacharjee and Mr Sen. Analysing the results, the committee said that they were “unexpectedly bad”. A statement acknowledged the people of the state were influenced by the slogan of change of the anti-Left forces.
The CPI(M) leadership claimed the party had identified the political, organisational and administrative shortcomings after the reverses in the 2008 panchayat polls and 2009 LS polls and taken corrective measures. “The large turnouts in the rallies and meetings in the run-up to the election made us believe that we would be able to form the eighth Left Front government,” the statement said. To substantiate their point, CPI(M) leaders said 1.95 crore people had voted for the Left. What the statement didn’t say was 2.30 crore people had voted for the Congress-Trinamul Congress combine.
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