By IANS,
Kolkata : West Bengal’s Left Front Thursday dubbed as “irresponsible” and “defamatory” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s allegation that the Marxists had hatched a “conspiracy” to poison drinking water.
In a strong response, Leader of Opposition and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Surya Kanta Mishra told media persons that Banerjee had the habit of making such “baseless” allegations when she was in the opposition.
“It seems she has not changed even after becoming the chief minister. As an opposition leader she had alleged that we had poisoned water in a water tank in Kolkata. But till date she has not ordered any probe.”
“She had also blamed us for the Gyneshwari express accident. But everybody knows how she has changed her statement now,” he said.
Mishra said the Left Front legislature party in a meeting has demanded the chief minister withdraw her allegations. “We will see if the government comes out with a statement. If it does not, we will intensify our protests”.
Alleging that Banerjee’s comments were motivated, Mishra said: “It is defamatory and unprecedented. It is unimaginable that a chief minister can make such a statement in the assembly.”
Mishra said the government was under pressure on the Maoist issue, the land settlement bill that has not been placed in the assembly as also the hooch tragedy. “So she is trying to deflect people’s attention by spreading such canards against us”.