UPA neglecting anti-Indian forces in Bangla: Buddhadeb

Ranirbazar, Feb 17: West Bengal Chief Minister and veteran CPI (M) leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today accused the Congress-led UPA government of ignoring the anti-Indian forces operating from Bangladesh. Addressing an election rally here, Mr Bhattacharjee alleged that militants were entering into the Indian territory from Bangladesh and committing massacres and other crimes.

He also alleged that the Congress had taken the help of militants in defeating CPM candidates, such as Aghore Debbarma, in the last Assembly elections in Tripura and this time also, the Opposition Congress-INPT was trying to mobilise them for pre-poll ''intimidations.'' ''Both myself and Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar took up the matter of the conspiracy of our neighbour against us by sheltering militants from the Northeast and West Bengal in their territory with the Centre several times but to no avail,'' he said.

Mr Bhattacharjee came down heavily on the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre, alleging that the Centre had failed to protect the interest of the people.

''While unemployment is increasing manifold and people are losing jobs due to closure of factories, thousands of farmers were forced to commit suicides in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka,'' he said.

''The Centre claims that the country's production has increased yet we have to import wheat and we have to face the ever-increasing unemployment in the country,'' he said, adding that there was unrest everywhere and alleged that the UPA government had failed to save the country from evil forces.

Mr Bhattacharjee is also scheduled to address at least five more election rallies in Tripura in favour of Left Front candidates.

UNI