Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Sunday asserted that his government will never surrender to the Maoists and launched a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress for "backing" the left-wing rebels and other disruptive elements in the state.

Addressing a massive rally called by the state's ruling Left Front at the Brigade Parade Ground here, he also said some "foreign powers", vested interests and landowners have joined hands to prevent the advance of the communists.

"The propertied class don't want the leftists to control the central government because they want to hold on to their property. But in West Bengal, the Left Front wants to recover all such property. And these classes are getting the support of some foreign powers," he said, without elaborating.

The chief minister said his government will never surrender to the Maoist ultras who are a menace in West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia districts. "They are calling out our supporters from homes and killing them," he said.

Calling the Maoists "cowards", Bhattacharjee said though the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) central government was helping the state government in tackling the left-wing extremists, the Trinamool was "backing" them.

"Because the centre wants to help us, they are sending the central forces to combat the Maoists. But the Trinamool is opposing that. This party is saying that no central security forces can be sent.

"Trinamool wants CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist) men to be killed. They want bloodletting in the three districts. Why are they so sympathetic to the Maoists?" Bhattacharjee wondered.

He said the Left parties will fight along with peasants and workers to foil anti-Left Front forces' attempts to create trouble in the state.

"The anti-Left Front forces want to foment danger. We take these efforts to foment danger as a challenge. Alongside peasants and workers, we are taking it as a challenge. We will stop them," Bhattacharjee said at the rally, called in protest against rising prices and violence in the state.

Refering to the movements for Gorkhaland, Kamtapur and Greater Cooch Behar states in the northern parts, Bhattacharjee said his government will not allow anyone to break up West Bengal.

"The Trinamool is trying to create and fan disturbances. So it is not saying anything against these forces of disruption. In fact, they have joined hands with these forces," he said.

Mentioning the Gorkhaland agitation in Darjeeling, he said the Left Front government was willing to give more autonomy to Darjeeling. "They want to wean Darjeeling from our state. But we won't allow any partition of Bengal."

The chief minister urged sections like Muslims, peasants, film artistes and singers to support the Left.

He called upon the Muslims, who have been supporting the Trinamool in recent times, not to let anyone disturb the communal amity in the state. "They (opposition parties) are spreading poison. They are lying. They want to keep you in isolation."

Lately, a section of cultural personalities mainly from the Bengali film world have been regulars at programmes of Railway Minister and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee's programmes.

EMAIL THIS NEWS COMMENTS No comments yet