The state Assembly on Thursday witnessed another instance of rare bonhomie between the CPM and the ruling alliance as Left leaders heaped praise on former Chief Minister Siddhartha Shankar Ray,once their bete noire,at a function to mark the unveiling of the Congress leaders portrait in the Assembly. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee,who presided over the function,and other leaders also paid tribute to the former CM. Hasim Abdul Halim,former Speaker of the state Assembly,said though Ray had different political views,he had a good relation with some Left leaders like Jyoti Basu. He set aside political differences while maintaining personal relationships, said Halim. Halim also praised Ray for his oratory while he was the leader of the Opposition. Surya Kanta Mishra,leader of the Opposition in the Assembly,also praised Ray for the his performance in the Assembly. Ray was member of the Assembly for two years,from 1991 to 1992,after which he took over as Indias Ambassador to the US. Unveiling the portrait on his birthday,Mamata Banerjee said Ray had a dream for a change in the government in West Bengal but he could not live long enough to see the change. Banerjee,who has already announced to set up a commission to probe into Kahsipur mass killings, said Roy had told her several times that he was not responsible for the killings. To bring out the truth,she has set up the commission,she said.
