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Friday, Jul 22, 2005

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Trinamool plans Statewide conventions

Special Correspondent

Part of the party's campaign to restore to the people their democratic rights: Mamata Banerjee

"Elections never free and fair in West Bengal" Party will take issue to Poll Commission "Internal security under threat"

Photo: Sushanta Patronobish

RALLYING AROUND: Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee addressing a rally in Kolkata on Thursday to commemorate the death of 13 supporters in a police firing in 1993.

KOLKATA: West Bengal's main Opposition, the Trinamool Congress, will hold a series of conventions and conferences across districts as part of its campaign "to restore to the people their democratic rights", party chief Mamata Banerjee said here on Thursday.

Her announcement is construed as an attempt to refurbish the image of the party, which suffered electoral setbacks and desertions in recent times.

Ms. Banerjee was addressing a rally held here in memory of 13 Youth Congress supporters, who died in police firing in the city on July 21, 1993. She was then a Congress leader but broke away from the party to launch the Trinamool four years later. Since then the day has been observed by the Trinamool as "Martyrs Day".

Congress rally

A separate rally was organised by the Youth Congress. Among those who addressed it were Union Minister for Water Resources Development Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi and Subrata Mukherjee, who left the Trinamool to form his own political grouping three months ago.

Earlier, both parties took out processions.

To complain to EC

Ms. Banerjee said the Trinamool "would resist the terror unleashed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Front Government, which had destroyed democracy in the State."

She repeated her charge that elections in the State were never free and fair and said she would bring the matter to the notice of the Election Commission. "Why cannot free and fair elections be held in West Bengal when it can be ensured in neighbouring Bihar?"

Ms. Banerjee pointed out that "internal security" in West Bengal was being threatened by continuous infiltration from across the Bangladesh border. "This was affecting the sovereignty of the country."

She wondered whether the Centre would take action to check the trend.

Even Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi dwelt on the threat in a report to the President, she said.

Ms. Banerjee criticised the State Government for "failing" to check terrorists entering the State which, she said, was becoming a safe haven for them.

The Trinamool's senior partner in the National Democratic Alliance, the Bharatiya Janata Party, will hold a rally here on Friday in protest against infiltration.

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