Kolkata: Left Front chairman Biman Bose on Thursday said both the BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress have to be defeated to reestablish people’s right in West Bengal.
Claiming that the present situation is not good in the country with the BJP at the helm, Bose claimed that the Mamata Banerjee-led party has given ground to the saffron brigade in West Bengal.
“If people’s rights are to be reestablished in the state, both the BJP and the TMC have to be defeated,” he said.
Bose’s remark came on a day when both the CPI(M) and the TMC were attending the Opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) meet in Mumbai.
Left supporters, workers and leaders had given their lives for upholding democracy and people’s right to vote in the state, he said addressing a rally of the Left Front at Esplanade here to commemorate the food movement in the late 1950s.
“Several people were killed in attacks by ruling party supporters during the July 8 panchayat elections in the state,” Bose said.
He said Thursday’s congregation was also to pay respects to the victims of rural polls violence and not only to commemorate the resistance movement against the food crisis in the late 1950s.
“Several people were maimed and over 50 persons killed during the panchayat polls,” he said, asking why should people die in the celebration of democracy.
CPI(M) West Bengal general secretary Mohd Salim demanded that prices of petrol, diesel and electricity be brought down to provide relief to people.
Reacting to LPG price cut, “The decrease of Rs 200 per cylinder is paltry,” he said.