Mamata firm on continuing fast, rejects CM'S letter

Kolkata, Dec 20 (UNI) Rejecting Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's letter urging her to call off her agitation, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee today made it clear that she would carry on with her indefinite hunger strike even as she deferred the 48-hour ''Bangla bandh'' beginning tomorrow in view of Christmas.

Mr Bhattacharjee sent a letter to Ms Banerjee, urging her to withdraw the hunger strike and the bandh.

The Chief Minister also requested Ms Banerjee to sit across the table for a discussion on the Singur issue.

In her reply, Ms Banerjee said, ''Sorry, We are totally dissatisfied with the content of your letter because you are telling us lies about the Singur land. This apart, the letter contains several wrong information.'' Talking to newspersons, she wondered how Mr Bhattacharjee could claim that the government had already acquired 954 acres of land and no force had been applied during the acquisition when 350 land owners today filed case in Chandannagore court, complaining that their land had been acquired forcefully.

She alleged that Mr Bhattacharjee was not acting as the Chief Minister of Bengal but had become the "agent of some promoters." To a query whether she had withdrawn the bandh following the Chief Minister's letter, Ms Banerjee said she had had withdrawn the bandh before the letter reached the dharna manch.

UNI AKM SJC/src RR BD1915