By IANS,
Arambagh (West Bengal) : Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader and former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Sunday called for mass resistance against the “atrocities” against his party and people by the Trinamool Congress-led regime in the state.
At a party meeting here, Bhattacharjee alleged that ever since the Trinamool Congress formed the government last year, his party offices and partymen have been attacked.
“We knew they will attack us. But while it all started with attacks on our party, now other parties like the Congress are also bearing the brunt. Trinamool men are even beating up their own party workers,” Bhattacherjee said.
The CPI-M politburo member also accused the state government of slapping false cases against his party workers.
Calling for mass resistance against the atrocities, Bhattacharjee said “that is the only road left for us. Without mass resistance we can’t stop these atrocities”.
“But that does not mean the mass resistance will start tomorrow. It always starts slowly. And people will read the situation gradually,” he added.
Turning to the anti-land acquisition protests launched by the Trinamool Congress-led opposition between 2006 and 2011 that played a key role in the CPI-M-led left Front losing power, he said: “There was nothing wrong with our industrialisation bid. Industrialisation had picked up pace then. But our land acquisition policy confused the people. Some people were misled by the opposition. A large section of people did not like our land-acquisition moves. They misunderstood us.”
Bhattacharjee said the party has to bring back working class people and slum-dwellers who have drifted away.
“Some leaders of Arambagh wanted to lord over the people. They felt they would issued diktats, and the people would ober. But the people did not like this. Why was the opposition not allowed to function then? This was a mistake,” he said.
Arambagh and vast areas in Hooghly district had seen large-scale political violence during the Left Front regime, with the opposition then alleging a reign of terror by some CPI-M leaders.