The ongoing war of words between the Trinamul Congress and the Congress on Wednesday exploded into an all-out war which may even endanger their alliance. Angered by the Congress agitation against the Mamata Banerjee government, the Trinamul Congress has planned a counter-rally in Kolkata on January 9.
The Congress leaders launched a tirade against her government and her party. Addressing a rally at the Metro Channel which was organised to highlight the plight of the farmers, state Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya, party MPs Deepa Das Munshi and Mausam Benazir Noor and state ministers Manas Bhunia and Manoj Chakraborty made it clear that they would continue to raise their voices for the cause of the people and, in particular, the farmers.
Reacting to Ms Banerjee’s charge that the Congress was working as the CPI(M)’s B-team, Ms Das Munshi said: “The Trinamul Congress, along with the BJP and CPI(M), had opposed FDI in retail although it is the UPA’s partner. On the Lokpal bill, the Trinamul Congress supported us in the Lok Sabha but its MP voted like the CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury against the bill in the Rajya Sabha. Why can’t we call them B-team of the CPI(M?”
Ms Das Munshi also scoffed at Ms Banerjee’s claims that her government had implemented 70 per cent of the projects in seven months. “The truth is even seven per cent of the work has not been completed. She is merely making announcements,” Ms Das Munshi added.
Both Mr Bhattacharya and Mr Bhunia criticised Ms Banerjee for blaming the Centre for the farmers’ distress. Rejecting her charge that the price of fertiliser went up because the Centre had withdrawn subsidy, Mr Bhunia said: “Please speak the truth.”
On Tuesday, Ms Banerjee had tried to evade responsibility by pointing out that the support price of paddy was fixed by the Centre and the state had no role to play.
“The Centre has fixed `1,080 per quintal as the support price for paddy. The problem is that the farmers are not getting this price and are forced to go for distress sale. For this the state is responsible,” Mr Bhattacharya said. Mr Bhunia pointed out that the root of the problem was the state government’s failure to procure paddy from the farmers. “The procurement target was 20 lakh metric tonne but the state government has so far procured only 2.10 lakh metric tonnes,” he added.
Congress leaders attacked Ms Banerjee for her decision to name Indira Bhavan after Nazrul. “We will never accept this because the sentiments of hundreds of thousands of Congress workers are associated with the memory of Indiraji,” Ms Noor said. Lashing out against the Congress leaders, Trinamul Congress leader Madan Mitra said: “Enough is enough. Now we will take them on in the streets.”
If they have the guts then they should resign and fight the election without Mamata’s support.”
State urban development minister Firhad Hakim said that the day Trinamul Congress would snap ties with the Congress, the latter would go out of existence in Bengal.