Using the People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCPA)’s announcement of support to Mamata Banerjee’s Lalgarh rally on August 9 as a stick to beat her opponent, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said that anti-Left forces could go to any length to remove the CPI(M) from power. “Our opponents launch

misinformation campaigns and spread canards about us and if need be, they do not hesitate to seek Maoist help and take on board for their August 9 rally even those who have killed 150 people by derailing Gyaneswari Express. What does all this indicate?” he asked.
Mr Bhattacharjee was speaking at a programme which was held at Mahajati Sadan to celebrate CPI(M) founder-member Muzaffar Ahmad’s 122nd birth anniversary.
On Wednesday, PCPA chief Manoj Mahato had announced that the members of the Maoist-backed outfit would join Ms Banerjee’s rally. Cashing in on the PCPA’s gesture, the chief minister and CPI(M) state secretary Biman Bose tore into Ms Banerjee. Mr Bose claimed that domestic and foreign powers were working in tandem to remove the Left Front from the state. He claimed that imperialist forces were helping their opponents to create disorder in the state and unseat the Left Front.
Mr Bose also found a hidden design in Ms Banerjee’s decision to not organise the rally under her party’s banner. “The rally is now being organised by anti-terror people’s front. What is this outfit? Whose brain is working behind this change. It has been done to facilitate the PCPA to attend the rally and also to allow the Maoists to infiltrate it,” he added.
The controversy’s echoes were also heard in Delhi where Jhargram CPI(M) MP Pulinbihari Baske wrote a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh raising the question as to how the railway minister and several other ministers of state would address a rally which will be attended by the PCPA supporters. Mr Baske expressed fears that the rally would further aggravate the situation in Lalgarh.
Rejecting the charge, Trinamul Congress MP Sudip Banerjee said: “The railway minister can address a rally wherever she wants to. The CPI(M) has become scared and therefore it is making wild charges.”
Echoing the CPI(M), even the BJP alleged that the Trinamul Congress’ proposed rally would create further trouble in Lalgarh. “The joint operations have achieved success and the Maoists are on the backfoot in Lalgarh. The recent revolt by the local people against the Maoists is also a significant development. At this juncture, Ms Banerjee’s rally would only strengthen the Maoists’ hands,” senior BJP leader Tapan Sikdar said.