Don’t be swayed by industrialists’ praise: Mannan to Mamata

Kolkata, June 9 (IANS) A day after industrialists showered praise on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Leader of the Opposition Abdul Mannan on Wednesday warned her not to get swayed.

"You shouldn’t repose your trust on the industrialists who shower encomium on you. We have in the past seen industrialists, praising the Chief Ministers of the day and then making a u-turn and criticising them the moment they lost power," Mannan told mediapersons here.

On Tuesday, seven chambers of commerce jointly felicitated Banerjee, who secured resounding victory in the recent assembly polls to become the Chief Minister for the second term.

At the programme, industrialists virtually competed with one another in lavishing praise on the Chief Minister and her regime.

While one industrialist quoted from William Shakespeare and Rabindranath Tagore, another recited a song from Satyajit Ray’s cult movie, "Hirak Rajar Deshe", and a third businessman referred to Swami Vivekananda to laud Banerjee as the one "who has restored Bengal’s lost glory".

Mannan said industry will not come up through songs.

He said even the Chief Minister virtually admitted that new industries have not been set up during her first term.

Mannan attacked the Trinamool Congress government for failing to make land available to the industrialists.

"We are firmly opposed to any forcible grabbing of farmers’ land. But if the state does not act as a facilitator, where and how will industries come up?" he asked.

He also referred to jute mills being opened ahead of the assembly polls only to be closed again once the elections got over in Hooghly district.

"The jute mills workers have been taken for a ride. I appeal to the Chief Minister to look into the matter and arrange for tri-partite talks to reopen the closed units."

On post-poll violence, he said notwithstanding the Chief Minister’s assurances, the physical attacks by the Trinamool on opposition activists and supporters have not stopped.

"We will launch movements in all the affected areas in coordination with the Left parties.

Mannan and Left Front legislature party leader Sujon Chakraborty are scheduled to visit Basirhaat in North 24 Parganas district on Thursday to talk to the families rendered homeless as a result of violence.