Somnath slams CPI (M) leadership, says it made party almost irrelevant

Kolkata, Sep.12 (ANI): The former Communist Party of India (Marxist) member Somnath Chatterjee on Saturday hit out at CPI(M) leadership terming the charges it levelled against him were "a character assassination" and the current political culture of the present leadership made the party and Left politics "almost irrelevant".

Chatterjee, who has also served as the Lok Sabha Speaker, referred to a rejoinder published in CPI(M) mouthpiece 'People's Democracy' recently accusing him of levelling baseless charges against the party and said he was "amazed at the deliberate distortion of facts".

Chatterjee denied having ever stated that "the Left had some foreknowledge that the 'cash-for-vote' row during trust motion would come up in Parliament nor had I insinuated that there was some coordination between BJP and the Left in this matter.

"I get the impression that in its anxiety to justify its unfathomable decision which has brought the party to its present sorry state, the CPI(M) has made a desperate effort to indulge in character assassination."

Chatterjee, in a three-page statement, criticised the party leadership for forging a Third Front "with disparate elements with ridiculous assurance to its members that it would come to power and would provide opportunity to the party's general secretary even to head such a government." (ANI)