With the first phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal just 17 days away, Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Friday said if elected to power her party would endeavour to provide good governance and restore the lost glory of the state.
“We are committed to provide independent and good governance to the people of West Bengal and restore democratic rights snatched away by the CPI-M in the last 35 years,” Ms Banerjee told a TV channel in an interview.
Noting that the new government would not extract vengeance, Ms Banerjee said, “In the event of a change in government, our primary task will be to establish the rule of law and return to the people their democratic rights which were taken away by the CPI-M since 1977.”
To a question if the dark days of Naxal violence of the ’70s would return and there would be law and order problems as feared by a section of Left Front leaders in the event of Trinamul wresting power, she retorted, “Do you think there is any light in people’s lives under Left rule? Law will take its own course and the guilt of 35 years of Front misrule will be tried,” she said.
Asked to comment on some Front leaders suggesting that she would jail CPI-M workers, the Trinamul chief quipped,”Why should I jail them? The courts will try the offenders of democracy.” She said her party, in the event of coming to power, would form an expert committee to review and verify all the cases of political prisoners “unlike the Left Front which released lakhs of prisoners irrespective of murderers and goons in 1977”. Ms Banerjee said that she would ensure that none accused in cases could go scot free.
“How can an accused in Sain family murder case in Burdwan district in 1970 remain a Left Front minister till date,” Ms Banerjee said without naming the minister.
“Our aim will be establish democracy and not to impose dictatorship,” she said, alleging that the CPI-M had resorted to ‘unlimited untruths to defame political opponents’. —PTI