Left youth organisations protest against Mamta-Maoist rally

Members of 11 Left student and youth organisations held a demonstration in Kolkota on Monday protesting against the rally called by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee at Lalgarh in West Bengal's Paschim Medinipur district saying “it will resuscitate the ailing Communist party of India (Maoist)”.

“As a result of the joint operations against the Maoists, the situation in the Lalgarh area is slowly returning to normality. At a time like this, the Union Railway Minister is conducting a public meeting there which will only provide a fresh impetus to the Maoists in the region,” Sujoy Mitra, vice-president of the State Unit of the Democratic Youth federation of India, said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has dubbed the Maoists the greatest threat to India's internal security but the Trinamool Congress is providing encouragement to them, Mr. Mitra added.

“The public meeting of the Trinamool Congress will only serve to increase the state of lawlessness in the region that is already reeling under the impact of violence perpetrated by the Maoists,” he added.

A delegation of the representatives went to Raj Bhavan on Monday evening asking West Bengal Governor M. K. Narayanan to look into the matter and convey its concerns to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Since Mr. Narayanan is not in Kolkata, the delegation met his Special Secretary D. K. Gautam instead.

In the letter addressed to the Governor, the delegation condemned “the open collaboration between the Maoists and Trinamool Congress” and expressed concern that the Maoist-backed Police Santrash Birodhi Janasadharaner Committee (PSBJC) took part in the rally.