‘Will face TMC in battleground’

Mr Bhattacharjee was speaking at a conference organised by Left Front Committee to commemorate the sacrifice of martyrs in food movement

In a clear message to Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, CPI( M) politburo member and former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Sunday said CPI( M) would never hold talks with her party and asked her to prepare to face them in the battleground. “There would be no talks with them. We will meet them on the streets and hold talks there,” Mr Bhattacharjee said. He was speaking at a conference organised by Left Front Committee to commemorate the sacrifice of martyrs in food movement.

Mr Bhattacharjee’s com- ments have put an end to all speculations of a Trinamul Congress and CPI( M) alliance and slammed political parties which were apprehending such a move. The reaction from the top brass of CPI( M) came after chief minister Mamata Banerjee, in an interview with a vernacular news channel, said that she was not averse to the idea of tying up with CPI( M) and might consider holding a discussion with her longtime foe. “Nobody is untouchable,” Ms Banerjee had said on Friday in reply to a question whether TMC was exploring the possibilities of forging an alliance with them if such a situation emerges.

Rubbishing her statements, Mr Bhattacharjee while addressing the gathering said, “Trinamul er sathe kotha bolbe bamponthi ra? Upor theke nich porjonto ekta somaj- birodhider dol. Hingsro dol. Sorbonash korche rajjer. Amader aain srinkhola, shilpo, sonkskriti o mullobodh sesh korche. Tader sathe ki kotha bolbo? Kono kotha hobe na tader sathe. Tader sathe amder rastay dekha hobe, moidan e dekha hobe. ( We the Leftists will hold talks with TMC? From top to bottom, it is a party full of anti- socials. It is an unruly lot. It is destroying the state. It has destroyed law and order, industry, culture and morality. What discussion would we hold with them? There would be no talks with them. we will see them in the battleground).”

Echoing the same, Left Front chairman Biman Bose said, “We will not hold talks with a party which does not believe in democracy. It is impossible to think they could launch a movement to strengthen the unity of people.”