TMC govt has unleashed reign of terror in Bengal: CPI-M

Agartala, Aug 8: CPI-M veteran Surya Kanta Mishra today said the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal has unleashed a reign of terror not only on the communists but on all sections of the democracy loving people in the state.

"The first attack by Mamata Banerjee government and the activists and leaders of Trinamool Congress were launched on the communists after they came to power in 2011.

But now they have unleashed a reign of terror on all sections of people," Mishra, secretary of West Bengal CPI-M told a meeting organised by Tripura unit of the party here.

"Administration, judiciary, police, state election commission are now under attack in Bengal .... More than one lakh activists and supporters of CPI-M were attacked by the goons of TMC in the last five years," he said.

Referring to the chief minister's scheduled visit here to address a rally, Mishra said, "I have heard that Mamata Banerjee is coming here tomorrow. I have no doubt that she would be able to stay here with full dignity because the Left Front is in power."

"If she gives a call for ousting the Left Front from here (Tripura) all her candidates would lose the deposit in the coming state elections," he said.

Tripura state elections are due in March next year. The attacks on LF in Bengal, he claimed, were earlier mainly concentrated in urban areas but have now spread to the grassroots level and in the last five years of TMC's rule 186 people were killed in Bengal.

"Activists and leaders including MLA of Haldia constituency were attacked several times, while offices of the party, mass organisation and the house of MLA were demolished." Mishra said.

He said those who were attacked by the activists of the ruling party were charged in framed up cases. TMC had won the people's mandate this time as in 2011 but 2.15 crore people had voted against them.

"So they have lost confidence and unleashed a reign of terror," he claimed.

The economy of Bengal, he said, was at the verge of collapse due to attack on the livelihood of people.

"The jute mills are closed, labourers in tea gardens are dying of hunger, industries are shut and people's money looted by the chit funds with their (TMC government's) indulgence."

Conceding that "many mistakes" had been committed by the erstwhile LF government in Bengal, Mishra said, "I do not say everything was right in our time. There were many mistakes. But now democracy is going to be destructed."

PTI