Mamata attacks BJP on poll promise retreats on price rise, warns political profiteers in TMC
KOLKATA: At an annual public meeting here this afternoon West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee rolled out attack on BJP-dominated and -led NDA Government where it would hurt it most – “the failure to arrest price spiral hurting the voters who got it into power to address the issue.’’
In her brief speech to a massive rally (that chocked Kolkata) in the heart of the city to remember killed Congress protestors in 1993 (she was in Congress them), she gave a war-like call to launch a movement against BJP for its failure to put an end to “rising prices of essential commodities, hike in fuel prices and railway fares.’’
She took the opportunity to play down with vitriol on BJP polling 17.2 percent votes, saying, “so much propaganda only for two seats, next time the number would come to zero….
“Bengal never tolerated communal politics (though she never repeated her most loved phrase communal face) and it wouldn’t tolerate in days to come.’’
Immediately, switching over to national failures of BJP, she said: “There are clear indication that BJP is retreating on poll promises on the issue of reigning in price spiral.’’
However, she also used the rally to warn party profiteers to end their reign of terror they cut loose on disagreeing political dissents and extracting money from people, shop-keepers to big industrialists. “I will not tolerate these and if anyone is caught will be punished,’’ she warned.
To defeat the emergence of neo-political profiteers within her party, making money and wealth in CPI(M)-style or even worse, she called educated young party members to come up to gradually take the next rung of leadership. Interestingly, during the rally two Congress and CPI(M) MLAs formally joined her party today and she asked left party leaders who were “unhappy with their parties to come and join’’ her for a greater cause of people.
Meanwhile, barring her attacks on BJP over its failure to arrest price spiral, she didn’t impress the political observers: “She is quickly assuming the role of a demagogue, going back to very very post-Independent Indian Congress leaders whom Nirad C Chowdhury described in his numerous books and articles. It’s good she picked up the style fast, as if she did not know what loompens party members are doing.’’
