West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Sunday said “vested interests aided by some foreign power” have ganged up to create an atmosphere of terror in the state, stall its development and even divide it.
“All vested interests and anti-Left forces, both from within and outside, have ganged up to stop the Left Front. They are even ready to divide the state,” Mr. Bhattacharjee said, addressing a rally at the Brigade Parade Ground ahead of the May-June election to 82 municipalities and Kolkata Corporation.
Mr. Bhattacharjee, who was in a combative mood, said the “vested interests” wanted to stall the LF’s initiative to set up industries in the West Bengal and move the state backward. “We will never let that happen and we have accepted their challenge,” he thundered.
Turning to the statehood demand in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar, he said, “The opposition party has not uttered a word against the attempt to divide the state. They have joined hands with those who are out to dismember our state.”
He once again spoke of Trinamool’s link with Maoists who, he said, were killing CPI(M) workers. “Sometimes, they say there is nothing called Maoists. If so, then who are killing our party workers?”
The Chief Minister told the rally that the CPI(M) would not surrender to Maoists who were killing its workers on an almost daily basis. “We will not surrender. Trinamool Congress wants to see that in the face of Maoist onslaught, our people will surrender. But it is mistaken. They are not going to bow down.”
Mr. Bhattacharjee categorically ruled out any further division of West Bengal, saying, “No one will gain if the state is divided. A dangerous thing is taking place in Darjeeling. We are saying repeatedly that we are ready to give more power, but will not allow division of the state.”
Mr. Bhattacharjee said 84 per cent of land in the state was with the poor — a reality which the ‘jotedars’ (land owners), he felt, were unable to accept. “They have also joined hands with the vested interests and are trying to change the situation,” he said.
Referring to Left Front government’s work for the peasants, workers, poor, tribals, teachers and students, he said the government was trying its best. “We have progressed and helped people,” he said. However, he admitted, “Unemployment is still there. We have to reach out to those who did not get anything. There is no alternative to the LF“.
He appealed to the farmers, workers, tribals, Muslims, youths and artistes to come forward to stop those forces who were trying to create restlessness in the state. “Whether those forces will succeed will depend on you.”
(courtesy : The Hindu)
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