Thaindian News

Kolkata, Aug 13 (IANS) Singer turned Trinamool Congress MP Kabir Suman Saturday said the West Bengal government led by Mamata Banerjee acted in haste in the Singur land return case and accused the chief minister of issuing diktats.

“I think the Singur land issue has been approached somewhat hastily. It would have been better had it been done through a gradual process,” said Suman in an interview to a Bengali news channel Chobbis Ghanta.

Banerjee had got an act passed for return of land to farmers from whom land was allegedly acquired forcibly by the erstwhile Left Front government for setting up an industrial unit in Hooghly’s Singur. The act has been challenged for being unconstitutional.

Suman, however, lauded Banerjee’s good intenstion in the Singur land return issue.

“There is no denying the fact that she has good intentions on Singur. But my lawyer friends say, the way it has been done, the matter will get entangled in court battles,” said Suman, who had once led the intellectual brigade of Trinamool Congress during its fight against the Left Front.

Criticising Banerjee’s style of functioning, he said: “The CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist) is gone. It has been now replaced by another organisation. She (Banerjee) is coming out with diktats. What we fought for was just. But things cannot be changed overnight.”

He expressed surprise over Rabindra Sangeet being played at traffic signals.

“I am really surprised to hear that. It’s a diktat. If it had come through popular demand it was okay. Moreover the songs are played without any aesthetic value in a haphazard manner. It’s truly surprising,” he.

Suman accused the government of making Tagore centric celebrations neglecting other great Bengalis.

“Tagore was a great man and should be felicitated and honoured but what about other greats from the state. Why are we forgetting others? Acharya Prafulla Chandra, the founder of the first pharmaceutical company in India, What about him? The year was also his 150th birth anniversary.”

Suman also criticised Banerjee on the issue of withdrawal of joint forces from the Maoist affected districts of the state (Junglemahal). “We have been demanding the withdrawal of forces since long. She was among those who had voiced for the removal. Why isn’t she withdrawing the forces now? She is in power now.”

“She is announcing economic packages for the people in Junglemahal. Will money be able to heal the scars they have got because of the atrocities by the forces? I demand the forces be taken out immediately,” said Suman.

Banerjee also came under attack from Suman for not setting free jailed pro-Maoist leader Chattaradhar Mahato.

Suman is currently having a strained relationship with the Trinamool leadership after he raised his voice against alleged corruption among a section of party leaders and openly condemned the joint forces’ operation in the state’s Maoist-hit districts.