Trinamool suspends senior legislator for revolting on Singur issue

Kolkata, Mar 8 (UNI) In an attempt to snuff out revolt within the party over the Singur issue, the Trinamool Congress today suspended senior member Sadhan Pande allegedly for violating the party line.

Leader of the Opposition Partha Chatterjee said the Trinamool Congress Legislature Party had endorsed the party's decision to suspend Mr Pande.

''The Legislature Party was unanimous in endorsing the party's decision. The suspension will be in force pending an inquiry into the allegation against Mr Pande,'' he told reporters after a meeting in the Assembly.

Mr Pande, once a close aide of party chief Mamata Banerjee, incurred the party's wrath after he publicly welcomed the Tata Motors's small car project at Singur, which had been in the centre of storm in the state politics with Trinamool Congress spearheading an agitation against the acquisition of agricultural land.

Alleging that there was no democracy within the party, the six-time legislator said the MLAs had never been taken into confidence to firm up an organisational policy on industrialisation and all decisions, opposing the small car project, had been imposed on them.

'' There is no democracy within the party. Over the past one year there has been no discussion within the organisation and the legislators had not been consulted,'' he told reporters in the Assembly lobby.

Mr Pande also alleged that he was not given any chance to defend himself before the suspension order was issued.

The legislator, however, took his seat among other Trinamool Congress members and participated in the proceedings on the opending day of the budget session.

Wondering why was the party opposing the small car project, Mr Pande said the state was in a dire need for development of the manufacturing sector and Trinamool Congress must act as a responsible opposition.

He also accused the Leader of the Opposition of being ''weak'' and playing a double role.

However, denying the party had taken any unjustified decision, Mr Chatterjee said the action against Mr Pande was well within the party constitution.

Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, who had gone on a 25-day hunger strike demanding the project be shifted from the fertile Singur land, asserted that her fight would be on till the Left Front Government and the Tatas backed out.

However, in what came as an embarrassment to the party, Mr Pande said last week that the small car project was very much necessary for the state's industrial development.

The party had immediately dissociated itself from Mr Pande's observation and hinted at punitive measures against the leader for a breach in party discipline.

UNI