Day 24th Mamata's fast; Ratan Tata not pulling out

Kolkata, Dec 27: The condition of Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee remained 'alarming' under oxygen support on the 24th day of her hunger strike today, even as Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata vowed not to pull out of Singur with the small car project 'even at gun point'.

Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi and Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee made another appeal to the Trinamool leader to call off her fasting, though Ms Banerjee's party colleagues kept waiting for a conciliatory message from the state government that could prompt her to withdraw hunger strike.

Ms Banerjee, who started the indefinite fasting on December 4 in protest against acquisition of agricultural land at Singur, was again put under oxygen support following health complications.

She kept lying behind a curtain drawn on a portion of her dharna manch in the city's downtown Esplanade area.

Former Asom Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta met the ailing Trinamool supremo on the dais and talked to her to inquire about her health.

During the day for the first time, Ms Banerjee's blood sample was collected by a family physician to assess the condition of her falling health.

Yesterday, the Trinamool leader was put on oxygen support for some time after she complained of breathlessness. As she kept denying assistance from Government doctors and any kind of health check-up, her condition had been under the scanner of few party colleagues, who themselves were medical professionals.

A statement, issued by the 'Singur Krishi Jami Raksha Committee', the banner under which Ms Banerjee had been on fasting, described her condition as 'alarming', but pledged to continue the movement unless the Government gave back to the Singur farmers the land 'forcibly acquired'for the Tatas' project.

Meanwhile, giving a boost to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata categorically said he would not bow to any pressure or external threat to pull out the small car project out of West Bengal following the huge uproar and movement launched by the Opposition parties.

'' If someone holds a gun to my head, they are welcome to pull the trigger. I am not the kind to leave under pressure or threat, '' he said in an interview to a private news channel.

His announcement came at a time when the state was on a boil over acquisition of farm land for the project.

'' Not just politics, but also our business competitors are responsible for the growing trouble in Bengal,'' Mr Tata alleged.

State Industries Minister Nirupom Sen immediately welcomed Mr Tata's decision, saying the Government was ''very happy''. He, however, described as ''unfortunate'' the involvement of business group in the ongoing trouble over Singur, as alleged by Mr Tata.

Speaking at a rally at Siliguri in North Bengal, the Chief Minister reiterated that he was ready to hold talks with Ms Banerjee on Singur issue any day.

Mr Bhattacharjee had reaffirmed at a function of Bengal Chamber of Commerce here yesterday that there would be no roll back of the Tata Motors' small car factory and the Government was determined to go ahead with it.

Alleging that Mr Tata's statement was aimed at taming the movement, a spokesman of 'Singur Krishi Jami Raksha Committee' today said they would file a defamation suit against him for suggesting that the movement was being driven by ''Competing business interests.'' In Delhi, NDA leaders decided to meet President A P J Abdul Kalam and seck his intervention to ''Save'' Bannerjee's life.

Meanwhile, anxious over the health of the party chief and the impasse created following a battle of attrition between Ms Banerjee and the Chief Minister, front ranking Trinamool leaders said they were still awaiting the Government to come out with a solution formula.

'' We are worried at the condition of Mamata. But she will not listen to us to call off the hunger strike. It is possible if the state Government makes a fresh proposal with some leniency in attitude, '' senior leader Saugata Ray said.

Yesterday Trinamool leaders talked to Housing Minister Gautam Deb to make the Chief Minister agree to issue a letter once again to request Ms Banerjee not to continue fasting.

But the Chief Minister, who had written to Ms Banerjee thrice in the recent past, reportedly sought a promise from her that she would withdraw the hunger strike after receiving the official request.

UNI

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