Mamata lacks political integrity - Asok Bhattacharya

SILIGURI, 14 OCT: The former state urban development minister and senior CPI-M leader, Mr Asok Bhattacharya, today charged the chief minister, Miss Mamata Banerjee with lack of political integrity regarding the continuing tension in the Darjeeling Hills and the Dooars over the GJMM land clamour. “She has been indulging in double standards and duping the people. This would ultimately exacerbate ethnic tension in the region,” he said.
He pointed out that the constitution of the land verification committee as per the clause of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration agreement was a roundabout admission on the part of the state government that the GJMM’s land clamour involving Terai-Dooars was justified.
“But, while in the Dooars, turning a somersault, Miss Banerjee assured the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Bikash Parishad leaders that there was no question of transfer of lands. This is errant hypocrisy,” he said.  
Addressing a gathering at Malbazar in the Dooars on 12 October, the chief minister asked the people to refrain from taking recourse to agitation regarding the land transfer issue, saying that the matter was under consideration of the state government-appointed committee headed by the Mr Justice (retired) Shyamal Sen. She is also reported to have asked the people residing in the Terai-Dooars to lodge objection with the committee on the matter.
Ridiculing the chief minister, the Marxist leader said that she had created an impression in the Dooars that the land verification committee had been empowered to decide the question of the separate autonomous council as being demanded by the ABAVP leadership. “She casually asked the members of the ABAVP delegation to approach the committee regarding their demand for a GTA-type council for the Terai-Dooars.  The matter is serious. It should not be dealt with in such a cavalier fashion,” he said.
“My party remains opposed to the GTA, yet we want prompt constitution of the GTA through free and fair elections,” he said, adding that the Darjeeling district Left Front would hold a meeting shortly to chalk out detailed strategy vis-à-vis the land verification committee.
He also slammed the chief minister for having refused to meet the AIGL president, Mrs Bharati Tamang and the representatives of the near extinct Toto community in the Dooars during her just-concluded Hills and Dooars trips.