Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday drew a distinction between the CPM units in Bengal and Kerala, asserting that the party in the southern state was “much better”.
The chief minister was referring to the CPM’s efforts to implement the trade union strike in Bengal and the instances of vandalism, accusing the party of trying to ruin the state’s economy through such disruptive practices that she said were obsolete.
“I have to say the Kerala CPM is much better. At least they stick to their ideology,” Mamata said at Sagar Island in South 24-Parganas.
Trinamul Congress sources attributed Mamata’s statement to the stand taken by the LDF government in Kerala on several key issues in recent years that has found resonance with her outlook, starting from the protests against demonetisation.
Mamata was one of the recipients of a letter Vijayan wrote recently to 11 chief ministers requesting them to consider getting resolutions passed in their respective Assemblies against the BJP’s new citizenship regimen.
Mamata accused the Bengal Marxists of having forgotten how to begin and sustain a mass movement.
“They know how to plant four petty bombs, but they are unable to lead a movement. We know how it (a movement) is done. It is difficult: one has to sit and lie on roads, one has to give their life.… Even our current process of rallies and public meetings constitutes a movement. It takes strength to counter the (central) government. Me and my party are doing it,” said the Trinamul chief.
“We condemned the anti-student violence at JNU immediately and sent a team there. We sent teams to Lucknow, to Assam, to Shaheen Bagh. We are with all students and youths,” Mamata said. “I would implore the CPM not to fish in muddied waters by calling their actions a movement.”
She said her commitment since coming to power had been to foil bandhs because of the impact of such disruptions on the economy.
“As it is, the economic situation of the country is bad. People have less money…. Why are they causing harm? Bengal will not tolerate violence or bandhs. I don’t know why they keep calling bandhs…. Maybe they do it for cheap publicity,” Mamata said.
Referring to an alleged incident of crude bombs being planted on railway tracks at Hridaypur station on the Sealdah-Barasat stretch, Mamata said she was aghast at how “irresponsible” the Bengal unit of the CPM had become.
“I am sorry to say the CPM has neither any sense of ideology nor responsibility. If they did, they wouldn’t be planting bombs under trains. That is not a revolution, that is hooliganism. Common people would have been affected,” said the chief minister.
CPM politburo member Mohammed Salim claimed that the violence in Bengal had been unleashed by Trinamul workers and police personnel.
“It is Mamata Banerjee who instigated the violence. Trinamul cadres and police personnel carried it out, in Malda and elsewhere, to please her,” Salim said.
Congress MP Adhir Chowdhury questioned Mamata’s stand against the bandh. “Her opposition to the bandh indicates that she actually is in cahoots with the BJP,” he said.
