Statesman News Service
MALDA, Sept 8: Chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is still hoping to form a Third Front at the Centre as an alternative to the UPA and NDA. Addressing a Lok Sabha bypoll rally at Sujapur in Kaliachak Assembly segment today, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said: “We wanted to form a third front but were finally faced with two options either to support Dr Manmohan Singh or Mr AB Vajpayee to form a government at the Centre. We had to support Dr Manmohan Singh to form the UPA under the leadership of the Congress to save the country from the hands of the BJP, which is a communal force.” Mr Bhattacharjee, however, expressed his desire for a Third Front and added: “We will have to form the Third Front with the help of the people and a continuous struggle by the people.” The chief minister apparently succeeded in earning a lot of local support by attacking the USA at Sujapur, a Muslim -dominated Congress belt where Ghani Khan Choudhury used to be the last word in politics. “We will not tolerate the dictatorship of the USA,” he said, pointing out the present situation of Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Israel and the relation between the Manmohan Singh government and Mr Gorge Bush. The chief minister directly attacked the Congress candidate Mr AH Khan Choudhury, brother of ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury, and said: “He does not have the ability to deliver a speech in Delhi on behalf of the Malda people.” Paying full respect to Ghani Khan Choudhury, the CM said: “Ghani Khan was a man of great stature. His brother comes nowhere near to Khan saheb. Our candidate is better than him and is next to the late Ghani Khan Choudhury as far as Malda’s development is concerned,” the CM added. “We need to increase our strength in Delhi so that the Congress can not adopt any anti-people policy,” Mr Bhattacherjee urged. The chief minister was sensitive to local issues and assured to extend government help in upgrading basic amenities and the silk-manufacturing units at Kaliachak. In all the three bypoll rallies attended by him, the chief minister did not hesitate to blame the Congress and its leader Mr Priya Ranjan Das Munshi on the issue of erosion and said: “The Farakka Barrage Project, which was built during the Congress period in the 70s, is responsible for the massive erosion in the Malda region.”#
Priya salvo at CM
Statesman News Service
MALDA, Sept 8: Mr Priya Ranjan Das Munshi, Union I&B and parliamentary minister, has sharply reacted to chief minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s comment over the Farakka Barrage Project in his speech during the bypoll rally in Malda yesterday. Mr Das Munshi today said: “ I disagree with the chief minister, who criticised the Farakka Barrage Project executed by the Central government. Mr Bhattacharjee described the FBP as a ‘faulty” project. He alleged that this project was largely responsible for the massive erosion that occurred on the left bank of the Ganges in this region”. The CM had reportedly pointed out the failure of the Central government in stemming erosion after taking the responsibility it its own hands and criticised the former Union water resources minister, Mr Das Munshi. Following this, Mr Das Munshi, allegedly took a strong resentment to the CM’s comment and said: “The CM should not forget that his predecessor, Mr Jyoti Basu, played a pivotal role in the water treaty with Bangladesh on the FBP.” “Why does he now blame the FBP, when everybody knows its importance?,” Mr Das Munshi asked. “Until now, only Jamat-e-Islami in Bangladesh had objected to FBP. Now, our CM too has echoed the same sentiments. He should have learnt from Mr Basu before passing any comment on FBP because West Bengal reaped maximum benefits from this project,” Mr Das Munshi said. The Union minister accused the state government for its failure to complete Teesta Project in north Bengal.#
CM’s convoy disrupts traffic
MALDA, Sept. 8: The CM, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s convoy to Sujapur here early this morning disrupted traffic movement for hours on NH 34. Hundreds of lorries and private vehicles were stranded for hours on NH 34 today as the CM’s convoy was scheduled to pass through this route to Sujapur, where he was to campaign for the CPI-M for Malda bypoll. n SNS
No comments:
Post a Comment