PCC takes strong exception to CM's "aspersion" on Sonia

Kolkata, May 1 (UNI) The Pradesh Congress today took strong exception to West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's criticism of party president Sonia Gandhi for her recent statement that unemployment and debt have increased manifold in the state.

Ms Gandhi said in a recent election rally that the state was in ''poor'' condition with Rs 90,000 crore of debt and around 60,000 closed industrial units besides burgeoning unemployment problem. She also said the health and education systems had been in poor state during the 29-year-long Left rule.

But Mr Bhattacharjee took strong exception to Ms Gandhi's statement and described it as ''blatant lies''.

''We are challenging Mr Bhattacharjee to publish a whitepaper on debt and unemployment in the state and prove that the Congress president's statement is incorrect,'' West Bengal Congress general secretary Manas Bhuniya told newspersons here.

''The Chief Minister should answer why daily and agricultural labourers are so ill paid compared to other states,'' he said.

He also alleged that yesterday the CPI (M) workers attacked their party candidate Abdul Hamid of Habra and Laxminarayan Hembram of Tapan constituency.

''We have complained to the Election Commissioner and the state administration in this regard,'' he added.

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