Thaindian News

Kolkata, Apr 21 (ANI): Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) General Secretary Prakash Karat on Thursday charged the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of having links with the Maoists.

“This TMC (Trinamool Congress) led combined has got a number of unofficial partners, if I may put it in that way. One is of course the Maoists and the collaboration between the TMC and the Maoists is open and declared,” Karat told mediapersons here.

” In a situation where the very government in which the TMC is a part, the Central Government considers the Maoists problem the gravest internal security threat in India and here is a party in government which is collaborating with the Maoists openly,” he added.

Karat further criticized Congress President Sonia Gandhi over her claims that West Bengal’s Left Front Government had failed to utilise huge amount of funds granted by the Centre.

“I would also like to briefly comment on Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s remarks in her meetings yesterday during the election campaign. We found them making the same sorts of remarks in Kerala also. We are giving you money you are not using the money properly in your state,” said Karat.

“Your state government is not utilizing the funds that we have been giving you. I would like to ask is this some charity being given by the Central Government out of generosity? This the Central Government has to devolve a share of taxes and resources to the states,” he added.

Lashing out at the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) in West Bengal, Sonia Gandhi had on Wednesday charged the state government with failing to carry out developmental works.

“Thousands of crores of rupees have been given to the state for development and progress, but no result has been seen anywhere,” she said in her address at Nalhati, from where Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s son Abhijit Mukherjee is contesting elections on a Congress-Trinamool Congress ticket.Karat also said that distribution of money to voters before polls would subvert and pollute the nation’s democratic system and urged the Election Commission to exercise utmost vigilance to curb such activities.

“I find it out party and the Left front has already raised it here in the last few days, which is the flow of illegal money in the elections. This is a serious matter. We have already seen in Tamil Nadu how hundreds of crores of rupees have been utilized in these elections. The Election Commission had to adopt special measures this time to try and check the flow of money because we have been constantly complaining,” he added.

Further demanding an immediate stop on all new nuclear projects, Karat said: “I think it is elementary for the government to take heed of the public opinion when there are so many concerns about nuclear safety, hazards, radiation risks and this is also on the coast, Jaitapur. It is in a seismic zone. So, all this, why are they adamant?”

“Why are they leading to have such repression where people are now getting shot in police firing? So, I think already many expert scientists have asked for a stoppage of this nuclear project. A review must be done and I would like to react strongly that we would also like to see an immediate stoppage of the Jaitapur nuclear power plant,” he added.

The Left Front has been in power in West Bengal for 34 years.The state will have elections in six phases. The first phase took place on April 18.

The second phase will take place on April 23, the third phase on April 27, the fourth phase on May 3, the fifth phase on May 7 and the sixth phase on May 10. The total number of assembly constituencies in West Bengal is 294, of which 68 are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 16 for Scheduled Tribes. (ANI)