Bengal PCC chief backs left bandh on Sept 2

In a significant development, the Bengal Pradesh Congress leadership on Friday offered moral support to the September 2 general strike called by the left Front.When asked as to whether he morally backed the next week’s general strike, PCC president, Adhir Chowdhury said he did. “Yes we support them,” he said.

Chowdhury was speaking on the sidelines of a Congress Chhatra Parishad meeting when he said that “Bengal was passing through such a dictatorial phase when any kind of protest or opposition would be met with lathi-charge, bullets and tear gas.”

The Behrampore MP was referring to Thursday’s massive lathi-charge on a left rally — bound for Nabanna the State administrative headquarters — that left dozens injured, some of whom grievously.

The Friday’s development assumed importance because normally Chowdhury is known as a strong critic of the Marxists and owed his rise to prominence in Murshidabad district to his strong anti-left posture.

The PCC president who is also a strong Mamata Banerjee-baiter said under the Trinamool regime “Bengal has gone to dogs. There is nothing but corruption, rape, crime, syndicate raj and extortion. All industries have fled, students are leaving the State in large numbers and the teacher-student relationship has been allowed to fall as never before.”

And when the Opposition protested against the Government’s misdeeds, “they resort to lathi-charge and tear-gassing them. This can never be tolerated for long.”

Meanwhile, both Chief Minister and the left resorted to public posturing even as they threw challenges at each other. “The CPI(M) is resorting to brickbats in the name of rallies. But they must understand that I will take one minute to chase away these rallies. This is my challenge,” Banerjee said bringing immediate response from Opposition leader Suryakanto Mishra who said, “true to her party’s character the Chief Minister is speaking the language of outlawed people.” 

He added, “The Government saw only a three-hour bedlam on Thursday. But if they do not stop this kind of repression on the people, the farmers and the workers of the State then such agitations may continue for maybe 24 or 48 hours and she will not find enough policemen to control them.”