The chief minister on Wednesday took the Dunlop battle to Narendra Modi’s court and asked the Prime Minister to explain why his government had been sitting on a state government proposal to revive the closed factory in Hooghly’s Sahaganj for the past five years.

The question was clearly aimed at the BJP’s narrative that the party would ensure re-industrialisation of Bengal if voted to power.

Mamata Banerjee’s attack on Modi came within two days of the Prime Minister’s rally at the same venue in Sahaganj where he did not even take the name of the closed tyre factory or a plan for its revival in his speech.

“We decided to acquire Dunlop and Jessop in 2016 and passed a bill in the Assembly. From 2016 to 2021, the central government did not allow us to acquire it. Ask Narendra Modi why he kept the Dunlop factory closed for the past five years? You (Modi) should have answered it before attending a meeting on the ground of Dunlop. You did not do your job and (is) restraining me to do it,” Mamata said at the Dunlop ground in Sahaganj.

The chief minister added that while the Centre did nothing for Dunlop, her government was providing Rs 10,000 as monthly ex-gratia to all employees for their survival.

Sources said the BJP had chosen the venue for Modi’s rally in the vicinity of the closed Dunlop factory, which was known for providing specialised tyres for defence vehicles, expecting that the Prime Minister Modi would come up with major announcements to revive closed industrial units in Hooghly, including a blueprint for Singur where the Tatas had to abort its auto hub after a fierce anti-land acquisition movement that catapulted Mamata to power in 2011.

Mamata questioning Modi for his government’s lack of support for the revival of Dunlop found resonance among several trade union leaders and employees of the closed factory.

“This is our question too. Why has the central government been sitting on the proposal for years? We are ready to go to Delhi if the state government takes the initiative. If the state government is at fault then the Prime Minister should tell that publicly. Why did he not speak on the issue when he visited the Dunlop grounds on Monday?” said Sarbik Ghosh, Dunlop employee and leader of the CPM-affiliated Citu.

Mamata not only attacked Modi but accused “two” BJP leaders, who she did not name, of taking shelter at the house of Pawan Ruia, who was the last owner of Dunlop before it went into liquidation.

The CID had arrested Ruia after he had served the suspension notice in 2016.

He is now out on bail.

“What is the name of the owner of Dunlop? It is Pawan Ruia. At a time when we have lodged several cases against him, BJP leaders are staying at his house. After denying workers and labourers (of Dunlop) jobs and food, they (BJP leaders) became guests at the Sarat Bose Road house of Ruia,” Mamata said and added that she knew the names of two leaders but would not disclose it.

“I feel ashamed to take the names of the BJP leaders. I will confide the names to Dilip Yadav (Hooghly’s Trinamul president). You launch a movement by putting up posters everywhere asking BJP leaders why they became guests of Ruia,” Mamata said at the gathering where around a thousand family members of Dunlop employees were present.

Trinamul insiders said the way Mamata took the Dunlop war to Modi was a masterstroke.

Hooghly president of the Trinamul-affiliated INTTUC, Bidyut Routh, said Mamata's attack on the Modi government on the fate of Dunlop would help the party campaign among the workers against the BJP.

“We have already started to interact with Dunlop workers and will start a movement against the BJP soon,” Routh added.