My Government practices capitalism : Bhattacharjee

Kolkata, Apr 12(UNI) Instead of socialism, the Left Front Government in West Bengal is practising capitalism and industrialists are no more anathemas to the Marxists, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said here today.

'' We are practising capitalism and not socialism. We do not want to raise the slogan of struggle (against capitalists) and give a call for strike in factories,'' he told reporters at a meet-the-press programme.

In a candid declaration for the first time in public saying capitalism was a reality, the Chief Minister said his Government was trying to make best use of capital for the benefit of the poor people.

In reply to a question whether being a Marxist he felt embarrassed having been adjudged the best Chief Minister of the country by industrialists, Mr Bhattacharjee shot back: ''Are we mad? We have to run a Government. Can we ask industrialists not to come to the state because we are Communists?'' Making clear that his Government would continue wooing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), he said more such investment would come to the state following the footsteps of the Indonesian Salim group.

Describing as a 'misconception' that the CPI(M) disagreed with him on major industrial and economic issues, Mr Bhattacharjee said it was rather in most cases that he enjoyed support from his party.

''In certain cases we have differences, but that we settle through discussions,'' he said.

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