Mamata wishes Basu keeping politics in backburner

Kolkata, July 8 (UNI) Despite the bitter rivalry over Singur and Nandigram, Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee today met CPI(M) patriarch Jyoti Basu on his 94th birthday, even as the veteran communist leader urged the opposition to support the Left Front government's industrialisation movement.

In a dramatic meet, only two days after the campaign against Mr Buddhedeb Bhattacharjee and his government in the CPI(M) stronghold of Kerala, the Trinamool Chief wished the nonagenarian Marxist good health and long life.

''I wish that he remains healthy and lives long. I have come here to see a senior leader. This has no relation with politics,'' she said after coming out of Indira Bhavan, Mr Basu's residence at Salt lake.

Mamata visited Mr Basu straight after her arrival from Chennai, after taking out a 'Bhuka Juloos' at Delhi and Thiruvananthapuram that she organised to highlight 'CPI(M)'s atrocities' in Singur and Nandigram.

Denying that she had any other talks with the CPI(M) leader, except for exchanging pleasantries amid the height of bitterest of acrimony that the ruling party and opposition ever had in West Bengal, Ms Banerjee said she had decided to call on Mr Basu the day she had visited him last month to discuss the problems of Nandigram and Singur.

''The last time I met him, he said he would turn 94 on July 8 and said he did not hope to live long. I kept that in mind.

That is why I came here today,'' she said.

Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and his Tripura counterpart Manik Sarkar conveyed their hearty greetings to Mr Basu on his 94th birthday.

''As soon as I reached Agartala, Mr Manik and I wished Mr Basu over the phone for his long and healthy life,'' said Mr Bhattacharjee during a public rally in Agartala.

Mr Basu, meanwhile, said, '' I take this opportunity to wish our Opposition too and urge them to support our industrialisation efforts. All that we are doing is not bad after all.'' Mr Basu said this in a programme held at the CPI(M) patriarch's residence at Salt Lake by his long time protege and Transport Minister Subhash Chakraborty to celebrate his birthday.

''We are now on top in agriculture and panchayat rule and fourth in industry. We will be on top in industrialisation too in a few years. The opposition should support our good work, '' Mr Basu said during the programme.

UNI