Our struggle has not ended with the defeat in the elections: Prakash Karat

The Left Parties on Thursday lashed out at the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, saying that as many as 24 of its workers and supporters had been killed since the Mamata Banerjee-led government took power in that State. In a joint resolution, they strongly condemned the “dastardly attacks being unleashed on Left Front activists in West Bengal” and demanded an immediate halt to them. 

Addressing a public meeting in Delhi as part of the national campaign of the Left Parties against Trinamool Atrocities in West Bengal , CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, while referring to the achievements of the former Left Front government in West Bengal in land reforms, establishing communal harmony and transformation of the rural areas, said this was clearly not to the liking of some people. Giving details of the attacks on Left workers since the coming to power of the Trinamool in West Bengal, he stressed, “Our struggle has not ended with the defeat in these elections. We are committed to battle for people's rights.” He also pointed out that people should not forget that two crore people had voted for the Left Front even in these elections, and it would not be easy to crush their spirits or continuing struggle. “If anyone believes that Communism can be ended through physical attacks,” Mr Karat said,” they are wrong.” 

Later, CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan pointed out that Ms. Banerjee could not escape responsibility for the hike in the prices of petroleum products and rising prices as her party was one of the Congress's biggest partners in the UPA government at the Centre, while taking credit for slashing some of the taxes on these items in the State. “It isn't as though there are two Mamata Banerjees — one in Delhi and another in Kolkata,” he said. The meeting was also addressed by Debabrata Biswas of the Forward Bloc and Abani Roy of the Revolutionary Socialist Party. Present on the dais were other Left leaders, including CPI(M) MPs Sitaram Yechury and Brinda Karat. 

The resolution blamed the “goondas” of the Trinamool, the Maoists and the Congress for the attacks on Left workers and demanded that the West Bengal government immediately intervene and end the “barbaric attacks.”