Thaindian News

Kolkata, May 28 (IANS) Singer-turned-Trinamool-Congress-MP Kabir Suman has said in his blog that his parliament membership stopped him from campaigning for West Bengal’s jailed People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCPA) leader Chhatradhar Mahato in the recent assembly elections.

“In the assembly election, Chhatradhar Mahato stood as a candidate against the CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist) and the TMC (Trinamool Congress). I wish I could go and canvass for him.

“But that wouldn’t have been possible. After all I am an MP on TMC ticket and I would first have to resign from my MP post and only then would I be able to canvass for Chhatradhar or anyone like him who was contesting the TMC,” Suman wrote in his blog “My Friend Asim”.

The blog was published in Kabir Suman’s website www.kabirsumanonline.com.

Mahato, the jailed convenor of pro-Maoist PCAPA, contested from West Midnapore district’s Jhargram constituency. The seat was won by Trinamool Congress candidate Sukumar Hansda, who now heads the western zone development affairs department.

Suman vented his anger against the Trinamool leadership for not withdrawing the party candidate against Mahato.

“I wish Mamata had withdrawn her candidate and let Chhotrodhor Mahato win in the name of her by now famous ‘Maa Mati Manush’ (Mother, Land and People). Mahato should eminently qualify as a ‘Manush’ and Junglemahal ought to have both ‘Maa’ and ‘Mati’,” wrote Suman.

Suman expressed disappointment over Trinamool sidelining activists who once stood beside Mamata Banerjee during the days of Singur and Nandigram.

“I came to know that Mamata’s close associates didn’t send any invitation card (of swearing in ceremony) to Asim Giri, Tarun Sanyal and Dilip Chakraborty - all three being important activists who fought against the Left Front government and supported Mamata Banerjee.

“At the ceremony, I saw all sorts of people from all walks of life. In fact, I saw but a few activists who had been involved in the great struggle against the CPI-M from 2006 to the assembly election. Mostly I saw people who were nowhere near Singur or Nandigram. I could see that either people had been invited at random or there was a scheme somewhere,” wrote Suman.

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 Maoists-infested districts of the state.