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A battle has been lost, but not the war: Buddhadeb

Special Correspondent

“Irresponsible Opposition is scuttling attempts for industrialisation”

Despite the setback we shall move ahead: Buddhadeb
Industrialisation a must, says Pranab

KOLKATA: A battle has been lost but not the war, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said here on Sunday, two days after Tata Motors decided to pull out the small car project from Singur.

He regretted that a “very, very irresponsible Opposition” was creating problems in his government’s attempt to usher in greater industrialisation to ensure a better future for the coming generations.

Referring to the Tata Motors’ pullout for the first time in public, the Chief Minister said: “All right-thinking people in the State are not happy; just before our [Durga Puja] festival the Tatas decided to withdraw [from Singur].”

“Unfortunately, we are facing a very, very irresponsible Opposition that is creating a serious problem. But I believe one battle is lost; the war is not lost.”

Mr. Bhattacharjee was addressing a function after laying the foundation stone for Orion Techcity, an integrated information technology hub to come up here.

Despite the setback at Singur “we shall move ahead,” the Chief Minister asserted. “I believe that the majority of the people of our State are right-thinking and know what our future should be and that we want to raise our heads again. We must overcome the obstacles and go ahead.”

Tata’s assurance

Mr. Bhattacharjee said Mr. Tata had assured him that he was not leaving the State for good and would be making further investments here in the future.

The State had achieved considerable successes in the agriculture sector and his government was aiming to consolidate this success.

But this alone was not sufficient for progress.

“We are trying to industrialise the State for the obvious reason of greater development.”

“We must go forward — particularly for the sake of the young people who are coming out of colleges. They want industries, they want businesses,” Mr. Bhattacharjee reiterated.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee endorsed the Chief Minister’s views on the need for more industries.

He said the growth of industrialisation was a must along with progress in agriculture, otherwise it would not be possible to keep pace with the developed world.

Trinamool leader’s threat

Leader of the Opposition and senior Trinamool Congress leader, Partha Chatterjee, reportedly called up Commissioner of Police Gautam Mohan Chakravarty on Saturday night and allegedly threatened to “set all of Bengal on fire” unless some of those arrested in connection with the violence near a city market were released, according to the police.

“You are intimidating me … saying you will set all of Bengal on fire. I am recording this. Kindly do not intimidate me,” Mr. Chakravarty told Mr. Chatterjee from his mobile in the course of the conversation.

The call was made after the Commissioner went to the Charu Market area from where the police arrested some persons in connection with setting ablaze of some police jeeps and attacking the local thana following a bus accident there. The prime accused is stated to be a local Trinamool leader.

Mr. Chakravarty told Mr. Chatterjee that arrests would be made irrespective of party affiliation.

Mr. Chatterjee took exception to the Commissioner “making public his response to a private conversation with the Leader of the Opposition.”

“It is an infringement on my right to privacy and I have written to the West Bengal Governor and the Union Home Minister in this regard. This brings out in the open moves by the police to keep a close surveillance on conversations of Opposition leaders, including Ms. Mamata Banerjee,” Mr. Chatterjee told The Hindu.