CPM ducks buck for CD affair on Tapasi

The Opposition,led by Mamata Banerjee,had objected to the film recently released on CD,claiming it distorted the circumstances of Tapasi’s murder in a bid to project the accused CPM cadres — Suhrid Dutta and Debu Malik — as innocent.

On Wednesday,Trinamool leader Sobhandeb Chatterjee had said the film insulted the poor farmers of Singur who had joined the movement against land acquisition for the Nano project.

CPM sources said the film portrayed the death of Tapasi,though the name has been changed.

The film allegedly shows that the young girl was beaten to death by her father for having an illicit relationship with a youth from a different community and getting pregnant out of wedlock.

Incidentally,this is the version that the CPM has been putting forth in its defence following the murder that had invited outrage at the height of Singur agitation.

Sources said the film was produced by the CPM-backed trade union CITU. A copy of the film has since been submitted to the state election commission.

The charred body of 17-year-old Tapasi was found on the premises of the Tata Motors plant on December 18,2007. Her father,a local farmer,is said to have taken part in the agitation.

The subsequent CBI investigation led to the arrest of Dutta and Malik. Both were,however,released on bail on February 14 this year following a Calcutta High Court order. At the time of his arrest,Dutta was the CPM’s Singur zonal committee secretary.

CITU state secretary Kali Ghosh said the allegations were unfounded and made by “ignorant people”. “If the matter has reached the EC,so be it. As per my information,there are 5,000 complaints regarding violation of the election code lying with the EC. This is one of them. How many people have seen the film? I’m sure not even the complainants have viewed it. Whatever has been shown is in keeping with the law,and has no connection with the election. This is not election-related propaganda,” Ghosh said.

Loudspeaker ban lifted,Bose finds his voice
With the ban on the use of microphones and public address systems for campaigning lifted from Thursday,Bose said his party would make full use of the opportunity to bring out the “truth about Mamata’s lies”. “She (Mamata) has come out with campaign posters claiming she stands for truth. Actually,there isn’t a bigger liar than her. We will try to make the people aware of this,” Bose said.