Rally for rally: TMC, Left up in arms
The CPM-led Left Front named its rallies as “Protest Day”, whereas the TMC christened it as “Condemnation Day”.
Left Front leaders take part in a rally against state government in Kolkata Thursday. (Subham Dutta)
THE LEFT Front on Thursday took out massive rallies in various parts of West Bengal to protest against the alleged violence by TMC activist on Left cadre during Wednesday’s general strike. Trinamool Congress countered by taking out several rallies protesting against the alleged CPM’s “reign of terror”.
The CPM-led Left Front named its rallies as “Protest Day”, whereas the TMC christened it as “Condemnation Day”.
“The strike was a complete success and that is why they (TMC supporters) had unleashed such a barbaric terror against Left activists. But their terror tactics can’t stop the Left from raising its voice against the anti-people policies of the state government. The more they attack us, the more we will hit streets protesting against it,” Leader of Opposition Surya Kanta Mishra said.
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Mishra along with state’s Left Front chairman Biman Bose participated in the rally of the 17 Left parties from Subodh Mullick Square to Entally protesting against Wednesday’s “assault” on Left cadres across the state. Mishra left midway to visit Left Front leaders who had been injured in the violence. “It proves that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is scared of the people’s growing support for us. During her four-year rule, she has used the police to book Left leaders in false cases and now that we are raising our voice against it, she continues to do so but we will not stop because we are not afraid of her,” Mishra said.
Bose, who spoke as the rally came to an end, said: “We are ready to die in the process of bringing back democracy in Bengal.”
It is learnt that to help boost the morale of Left workers, talks are on within the party to organise a Left rally at the Brigade Parade Ground. Senior CPM leader Rabin Deb said it was a “routine affair”. “It has been a norm that after a party congress, a public meeting is called. This time the three-day plenum begins on December 27. The first day being Sunday, there is a proposal to hold a Brigade rally. It will be finalised in the state committee meeting on September 16-17,” he said.
Several TMC leaders, MLAs, councillors, too, took out small rallies in their own areas to protest against the alleged hooliganism of CPM cadres during the strike on Wednesday. TMC’s general secretary and state education minister Partha Chatterjee, while announcing Dhikkar Diwas (Condemnation Day) programme Wednesday evening, said that the people of Bengal do not support strikes and political violence.
“CPM is resorting to such violence to make its presence felt,” Chatterjee said, adding that TMC activists will carry black flags as a mark of protest. Over 1000 people were arrested in West Bengal while trying to enforce the general strike called by central trade unions a day before.
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