Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee renewed his appeal to Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee to call off her hunger strike, which entered the eighth day on Monday.

The strike is in protest against the alleged forcible acquisition of farmland for an automobile manufacturing project at Singur in Hooghly district.

"I would like to once again appeal to her to call off her fast and sit for discussions with the State Government on matters related to the Singur project," Mr. Bhattacharjee said. Ms. Banerjee addressed a rally of Trinamool Congress workers in the afternoon from the manch, where she has been spending the past few days and said that she would continue her hunger strike and "see the matter to the end."

She has threatened a 96-hour sit-in demonstration by her party workers from December 15 near the manch in protest against the alleged acquisition of farmland at Singur.

The Chief Minister said he informed Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani on Sunday about the developments in the Singur project and of his earlier request to Ms. Banerjee to call off her hunger strike.

Mr. Advani was asked to persuade the Trinamool Congress chief to stop her fast, he added.

Congress plea

Leaders of the State Congress also appealed to Ms. Banerjee to call off her strike. Over the past few days, Mr. Bhattacharjee has been appealing to the Trinamool Congress leader to withdraw her strike.

Sends letter

He even sent her a letter on December 8, asking her or any of her party representatives to sit for discussions on the Singur project.

He, however, maintained that the State Government was determined to see the Singur project through.Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi and Biman Bose, Chairman of the Left Front Committee, too appealed to Ms. Banerjee to call off her strike.

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