Mamata's no to PM's ''lollypop'' to end fasting

Kolkata, Dec 24 (UNI) Refusing to ''take a lollypop'' and end fasting, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee today rejected an appeal by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh even as she shifted stand, demanding that the State government ''agree in principle'' to return the ''forcibly acquired'' land from Singur farmers.

''I won't eat a lollypop. Am I fasting for 21 days to return with empty hands? I am ready to withdraw the hunger strike and hold talks with the government on the Singur issue if it agrees in principle to give back the plots which were forcibly acquired from farmers,'' she said after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi met her at the 'dharna manch'.

The Prime Minister, who was on a two-day visit to the city, had asked Mr Dasmunshi before leaving for Delhi to meet the Trinamool leader as his special emissary carrying his letter with a request to withdraw the hunger strike.

However, Ms Banerjee said she was fighting not for any individual interest, but for the protection of people's right to property. ''If Singur goes today, many more areas will be given away in this fashion in future, she said''.

She also warned that Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee would be fully responsible for any eventuality to her deteriorating health because of fasting. ''In that case, the Centre will not also be able to avoid responsibility,'' she said.

The Trinamool Congress spearheading the agitation in protest against taking over farm land for the Tata Motors' project, had sent a letter to the Prime Minister last night detailing its objection to the acquisition of the vast stretch of land for the project.

Expressing concern over the health of the Trinamool leader, the Prime Minister said in his letter that he was aware of the situation arising out of the Singur land row. The letter also said talks could be held if there were allegations on forcible acquisition of land.

After departing for Delhi, Dr Singh was quoted by Pradesh Congress Working President Pradip Bhattacharjee as having said though industry was key to development, it should not be at the cost of poor people depending on agriculture.

However, the Prime Minister hoped a solution to the problem would be found.

Ms Banerjee, who had first called for shifting the small car project from Singur, later revised her stand to demand that the sizable portion of the acquired land for the factory be immediately returned to farmers before any negotiations were held.

However, today she wanted the government to agree in principle.

The Trinamool Congress had alleged that out of the 997 acres of land acquired for the project, 407 acres had been forcibly taken away without any consent of land owners. The party had also submitted to Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi a set of affidavits filed in the court by the land owners.

However, in a letter to Ms Banerjee a few days ago, Mr Bhattacharjee denied any land having been forcibly acquired.

Requesting the Trinamool leader to withdraw her hunger strike, the Chief Minister called for direct talks to address her grievances.

Yesterday, the Governor made her third appeal to Ms Banerjee to call off fasting, while similar requests of the Chief Minister, former Prime Minister V P Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and former Chief Minister Jyoti Basu had fallen flat in the past.

UNI KDG SJC HS DB2045