CPI(M), Maoists, others whipping up trouble in WB: Min

Kolkata, Apr 29:

Industries and Commerce Minister Partha Chatterjee today accused the opposition

, the Maoists and a section of "pro-CPI(M)" and "radical Left" teachers of trying to whip up troubles to stop development in the state and disturb law and order.

"The CPI(M) and the Maoists wearing the CPI(M)'s mask are trying to stop developmental work in the state undertaken by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

A section of pro-CPI(M) and the radical Left teachers are also behind it," Chatterjee, also the Trinamool Congress secretary general told reporters.

"The CPI(M) is playing a dirty politics," he said adding efforts were on to create trouble at a time when the present government was trying to maintain peace and law and order.

"But they won't succeed in it. People are with Mamata Banerjee and her pro-people policies," he claimed. Denying the charges, CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty alleged that collaboration between the Maoists and the Trinamool Congress was "well-established. Now after coming to power Trinamool is saying all this".

He claimed the Mamata Banerjee government had lost credibility, the CPI(M) state secretariat member "Whosoever is criticising its wrong policies was being dubbed as conspirators".

Banerjee on Friday claimed that Maoists had a hand in inciting slum dwellers of Nonadanga during a recent protest against an eviction drive and hoped that good sense would prevail upon them.

The chief minister had been referring indirectly to the alleged involvement of Debolina Chakraborty, leader of the Matangini Mahila Samiti, stated to be a Maoist front by the police, during the protests on April 8 against the eviction.

Molecular biologist Partha Sarathi Roy was also arrested for allegedly taking part in the protests and freed from jail after 10 days following a public outcry.

Chatterjee's comment came close on the heels of a controversy surrounding a woman professor who had accused a Trinamool Congress leader Arabul Islam of hurling a jug full of water at her in the college staff room.

It also came after Shankudeb Panda, a Trinamool student leader allegedly threatened teachers with dire consequences if they aligned with the CPI(M).

Claiming that the incident involving the professor had been blown out of proportion in the media, Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee had said the party would definitely look into the allegation against Arabul Islam.

Arabul had dismissed the professor's charge as a "CPI(M) conspiracy" to tarnish his image and that of the party.

PTI