Buddhadeb attacks Trinamool on development plank

Tamluk (West Bengal), Nov 22 : Attacking the opposition Trinamool Congress on the development plank, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Sunday alleged that all work has come to a halt in areas where that party tasted electoral success over the past one and a half years.

Addressing a large rally at this headquarter of the East Midnapore district, where the Trinamool has decimated the ruling Left Front in all recent polls, Bhattacharjee also tried to enthuse the Left Front cadres by saying that the ruling combine would never bow down to the opposition's coercive tactics.

"They (the Trinamool-led opposition) are trying to usher in dangerous times. They are in power in the zilla parishad (the highest level of the state's three-tier panchayat or rural body) in the district. But they have failed to come up with any list of people below the poverty line. If they cannot, we will prepare it. We can't deprive the people," he said.

"They (the panchayat functionaries from the Trinamool in the district) don't know themselves what they are doing and what they are not able to do. What does the opposition want? That the entire state will have industries, all other states will have industries, but East Midnapore won't have any industry?" the chief minister said.

The state government's plans to set up a chemical hub in the district's Nandigram had to be aborted after much bloodletting following intense protests from farmers spearheaded by the Trinamool-led opposition. The political success at Nandigram boosted the Trinamool which not only reaped rich electoral dividends in the district but also elsewhere in the state.

The chief minister also alleged that the Trinammol was trying to prevent Left Front major Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) activists from carrying out political activities in parts of the district.

"They said the red flag should not flutter in places like Nandigram and Haldia in the district. They say everybody has to be with the Trinamool Congress. Can such dictums be given in any civilised society and country?" he asked.

"But we won't bow our head to their coercive tactics. We will go forward by fighting all forms of injustice and atrocities. They do not allow people to attend our meetings. We will go ahead with our ideals, principles and policies," he added.

On a day's visit to East Midnapore as part of his weekend trips to the districts to review development work and law and order issues, Bhattacharjee held at meeting with officials and panchayat functionaries in Kolaghat.

Later, Trinamool Congress activists showed black flags to the chief minister and raised 'go back' slogans at four points as his convoy drove from Kolaghat to Tamluk.