Would take TMC a minute to teach the Left a lesson : Mamata

“Those who have lost their credibility among the masses, those who have been rejected by the people, are now resorting to violence to regain power. They have become so intolerant that they can’t wait,” Mamata said while addressing a rally of the party’s students’ wing Trinamool Congress Chatra Parishad (TMCP) on its foundation day.

She accused the Left leadership of organising the violence during Thursday’s rally in a planned manner. “Vehicles were brought to the rally points packed with stones and bricks. The protesters were instigated by the CPM leaders to use these against the police. However, the police showed extreme restraint in dealing with such a violent mob,” Mamata said.

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Several Left activists including the CPM Politburo member Biman Bose and 25 policemen were injured as Left Front supporters fought a pitched battle with the police on Thursday in both Kolkata and Howrah when the police tried to stop their march to Nabanna, the state secretariat. Police resorted to baton charge, used water canons and lobbed teargas shells to disperse the agitating Left Front activists.
Claiming that the police used to open fire on public agitation way more during the Left regime, she said, “It is easy to fire and kill. It is difficult to face tough situation and handle it carefully without any bloodshed.”

Continuing her attack on the CPM, she said, “The sins of the communist government are always coming to the surface through incidents like the one in Bally where Rs 49 crore had been unearthed. There is no end to the greed.”

She said the Left, which has planned to come to power in 2016, would not return to power even in 3016. “If you want to compete with us, make a list of the developmental works that we have done and the works that you (Left) have done in the last 34 years. You have done nothing for the state. Now you want to create blockades in the way of development, but we won’t allow you to do it. It will take just a minute for us (to teach you a lesson), but we don’t believe in resorting to violence as you have done,” she added.

Issuing a word of caution for the Left trade unions who have called an industrial strike on September 2, Mamata said modern day politics has moved away from bandhs, violence, murder and conspiracy and people of Bengal will not support shutdowns.

“Why will people support those who call strikes and shutdowns? People of Bengal don’t support bandhs. The Left has a habit of calling six strikes in a year. The people in general will reply to it. No educational institution or workplace would be closed and buses, trams would ply as normal. We will not allow Bengal to come to a halt,” Mamata said, adding, “Political movement doesn’t mean resorting to violence. I support those who believe in peaceful political movement, but not those who resort to violence.”

Urging TMCP workers to show discipline and respect to the people, she said violence in educational institutions should be stopped totally. “I will not support violence. I will never support indiscipline. The politics of violence has become obsolete,” the TMC supremo said.

Mamata described herself as a “product of student politics”, and urged the young students not to suffer from depression and instead emerge as people’s leaders.

Speaking about the killing of SFI leader Sudipta Gupta and more recently Congress’ student wing, Chhatra Parishad activist Krishna Prasad Jana, Mamata said, “It is really sad and we don’t want any deaths. But when I enquired, I found out that Sudipta had accidentally hit a lamppost which had caused his death. In the Sabang case, I came to know from the police that there were sticks and hockey sticks inside the students’ union room. A ploy is on to malign the TMCP. Police are inquiring into the matter and they would book offenders,” she said.

The chief minister also said once a law on chit funds was in place, the state government would order an inquiry into such companies running ponzi schemes from the 1980’s.

“We will order an inquiry into the chit funds from the 80s. The TMC is being blamed and maligned for being involved in the Saradha scam. We don’t need money from chit funds to run our party. Those who created chit funds in Bengal are accusing us,” Mamata added.

With PTI inputs