The growing rift between the Congress and Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee deepened further on Tuesday when Bengal chief minister accused the Congress of ganging up with the CPI(M) to malign her government over the issue of denial of support price of paddy to farmers.
She accused the Congress of raising a hue and cry over the renaming of Indira Bhavan to settle political scores with her. Incidentally, the Congress and the Left Front are separately intensifying their movements on the farmers’ issue in the state from Wednesday. The Youth Congress led by Mausam Benazir Noor on Tuesday also organised a protest meeting at Indira Gandhi’s statue opposite Birla Planetarium.
“In Parliament, we opposed the bulldozing of the federal structure because Lokayukta was a matter concerning states and the states should have the right to decide it,” she added, indicating that the Congress was attacking her government for opposing the Lokpal bill in the present format.
Ms Banerjee alleged the Congress and the CPI(M) were working together against her party. “In West Bengal, the CPI(M) and the Congress are working together. Our partymen are being attacked in the districts. Our party workers, however, remain silent. But we are not weak. Don’t play with fire. I will not allow it,” Ms Banerjee thundered.
She strongly criticised the Congress for carrying on a campaign against her for renaming of Indira Bhavan. “They are blocking roads and railway tracks and reviling me daily. I don’t disparage Prime Minister Manmohan Singh or Sonia Gandhi because that is not our culture. When Jyotibabu stayed in Indira Bhavan, the CPI(M) had used to run their party office from there. Why the Congress was silent then? I am not changing the buildings’ name, only setting up a Nazrul academy and research centre there,” she said. Ms Banerjee pointed out that she respected Indira Gandhi and it was the Trinamul Congress-led KMC which had erected the statue.