The Hindu : National : Trinamool suspends Pande

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Friday, Mar 09, 2007
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Trinamool suspends Pande

Special Correspondent

For opposing party line on Singur project

KOLKATA: Senior Trinamool Congress leader and MLA Sadhan Pande was suspended from the party on Thursday for alleged "anti-party" activities. "He has been suspended pending inquiry," Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Partha Chatterjee said.

The suspension comes in the wake of his dissociation from the party's official line on the Tata Motors' automobile project in Singur. The party has been protesting against the project and opposed to the acquisition of agricultural land for industry.

Mr. Pande had been expressing his reservations about the agitation by the party and spoken in favour of holding talks with the Government on the compensation and rehabilitation package for farmers whose lands had been acquired.

He had said: "The Tata Motors project will come up at Singur. No force can stop that from happening. If that makes me appear an agent of the Tatas so be it. Where will we be if there is no industry set up in the State?"

Mr. Chatterjee said the party was entirely behind its leader Mamata Banerjee on the issue and there was no question of backtracking from the stand.

Mr. Pande's suspension comes at a time when the Trinamool is renewing its stir against the Singur project and planning to extend its agitation to south Bengal, besides Nandigram in Purbo Mednipur district.

His suspension was announced only hours before the Assembly met for the budget session.

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