In public rally,Trinamool asks Congress to exit Bengal alliance

Claiming the Congress was utilising the image of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for its political survival,Chatterjee,the industry and commerce minister said: “If they have the guts,let them face elections without Mamata’s photo and prove that they can win on their own.”

Alleging that Congress and CPI(M) had ganged up against the chief minister to stall development in agriculture and industry in the state initiated by her,Chatterjee said: “Congress must declare clearly whether it will side with the CPI(M) or remain with the Trinamool. We will not tolerate duplicity.”

Stating the Congress was never serious in fighting the CPI(M),he said: “Where was the party in 1998 when the Trinamool Congress was born? Trinamool was formed to oust the CPI(M) from power as the Congress was never serious in taking on the Marxists with which it had conspired.”

Chatterjee alleged when chief minister was arranging cheques for farmers to purchase paddy,Congress and CPI(M) were trying to ensure the funds did not reach the beneficiaries.

“Congress is now shedding crocodile tears for support price for farmers. But when the previous CPI(M) government snatched away farmers land in Singur and Nandigram,it was Mamata Banerjee who stood beside the farmers.”

The chief minister who had on Saturday dared the Congress to quit the alliance in the state did not attend the rally,though the Trinamool top brass including several MPs were present.

Union minister Sudip Bandyopadhyay reminded the Congress that the Trinamool Congress with 19 MPs was the second largest ally of the UPA government.

“Congress should not forget that it does not have 273 MPs in the Lok Sabha. It should not think what it dictates has to be followed,” he said.

Underlining that all decisions had to be taken in consultation with allies,Bandyopadhyay said the Trinamool Congress would continue to oppose any decision of the UPA government which went against the interests of the people.

He said the stand of the party opposing the provisions of the Lokayukta in the Lokpal Bill had been supported by all parties.

He pointed out the price of petrol had been reduced 15 days after the last hike following opposition from the Trinamool Congress. “Trinamool Congress may be a regional party,but it is heading towards being a national party.”

Public health engineering and panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee alleged that Congress was jealous of the chief minister’s rising popularity at the national level.

“Some journalists asked me whether the differences between the two parties could be sorted out. I told them there was a cure for many diseases,but not for jealousy.

“Mamata Banerjee is a mass leader and enjoys enormous popularity among the people and her honesty and anti-CPI(M) image is unquestioned,” he said.

Referring to the Congress demand for proper support price of rice,Mukherjee said: “The support price of paddy is fixed by Pranab Mukherjee and Manmohan Singh. It is central government undertaking Jute Corporation of India which purchases raw jute.”

On the controversy raised by the Congress’ claim of ‘renaming’ of Indira Bhavan where late chief minister Jyoti Basu used to stay,Mukherjee said that the chief minister had never said that it would be renamed.

“She said there would be an academy named after poet Kazi Nazrul Islam where research activities centering him would be carried out,” he said.

He said no Congress leader except P R Dasmunshi had ever bothered to garland Indira Gandhi’s statue at the Bhavan which was erected when he was mayor of the Trinamool Congress-run Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

Urban development minister Firhad Hakim said the Congress was harping on non-issues. “If there are differences it can be discussed within the government,but the way they are doing it only strengthens the hands of the CPI(M).”

Earlier,the industry minister said Rs 90,000 crore in investment proposals had been received since Mamata Banerjee took over as chief minister.