NDA throws weight behind Mamata; Buddhadeb flays Opposition

Kolkata, Dec 26 (UNI) The NDA today jumped into the Singur bandwagon, deciding to hold an emergency meeting tomorrow to chalk out future course of action following Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee's continuance with her fast, while Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee rapped the Opposition for behaving irresponsibly on the issue.

" The BJP has already decided to stand by Mamata in her struggle against setting up of Tata Motors' small car factory on Singur's fertile land. Now the NDA will meet to make official its stand on the issue and decide its course of action, '' BJP president Rajnath Singh said from the dharna manch of Ms Banerjee, whose hunger strike entered the 23rd day.

The meeting, to be held at noon at the residence of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Delhi, would have the Singur issue as its exclusive agenda, Mr Singh said.

The BJP president said before going for the NDA meeting, he had talked to Mr Vajpayee and former party president Lal Krishna Advani in details on the subject.

Mr Singh, who was present at the Trinamool leader's dharna manch on the first day of her hunger strike, today held talks with Ms Banerjee and remained with her for a long time.

To a question as to whether the BJP leadership would take up the issue with the Tatas, Mr Singh shot back : '' There is no need to talk to them. The ball is now in the West Bengal Government's court.

If anything happens to Mamata, the only person to be held responsible will be Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.'' While speaking at the 152nd Annual General Meeting of Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry here, Mr Bhattacharjee said, '' How we can run a government with an Opposition like this? We have discussed about the Tata's small car project with all our allies and the Opposition before starting the land acquisition at Singur. '' Mr Bhattacharjee averred that he could not roll back on the decision of offering land to Tata Motors for setting up small car unit in Singur.

He also said, " I cannot tell Ratan Tata that we cannot give him land. However, I want consensus of the issue as it is sending wrong message to the outer world. I am ready to discuss with Ms Banerjee if she withdraws her fast. I have already sent her two letters.'' He said, '' Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has also sent an emissary to Ms Banerjee to withdraw her fast. But that did not yield any result.'' Speaking about land acquistion in Singur, he said, " The government had tried its best to avoid fertile land. Earlier, the plant was proposed to be set up in Kharagpur, but Mr Tata wanted a location near Kolkata. We then showed him five to six locations and Singur was selected by the company. " " Uttaranchal was our contender. But I personally requested Tata to set up the small car unit here. Now we cannot tell him that the government fails to give land there, " he clarified.

UNI KDG SJC DB1926