Didi calls on Left, ultra-Left to build alliance against BJP

Kolkata: Trinamool chairperson and former chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday exhorted all non-BJP parties in Bengal, including Left and ultra-Left, to join hands with TMC against the saffron party. Mamata said she was "personally willing" to talk to all interested parties to come up with a joint platform to defeat BJP, which was elected to helm the new govt in Bengal.

Mamata's appeal for an alliance of non-BJP parties came on a day Suvendu Adhikari took oath as Bengal's ninth CM at the Brigade Parade Ground in the presence of PM Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and others.

In the afternoon, Mamata targeted BJP repeatedly while celebrating Rabindra Jayanti at her Kalighat home. "A storm of terror prevails all around. I urge all political parties, student-youth organisations and NGOs to unite. We want to create a platform against BJP. Left and ultra-Left, any national party, wherever you are, let's unite. Anyone who wants can talk to me. I will be in the office from 4 pm to 6 pm. Our first enemy is BJP," she said.



Reacting to the call, CPM state secretary Mohammad Salim quoted from Rabindranath Tagore, saying: "When life dries up, come with a stream of compassion."

Mamata said the ‘Save the Country Democratic Platform' sought permission to celebrate Rabindra Jayanti at three places, but that was denied. Attempts were also made to disrupt the celebration at her home, she claimed. "All decorators were instructed not to provide anything. We arranged everything ourselves, even the microphone box," she said.

Mamata said there was disturbance outside Abhishek Banerjee's house, too. "There is a lot of pushing around. They are saying, open the door, bring the daughter out," she said, adding that even the private tutor was prevented from entering the house.

"Hooliganism is happening in front of people's houses. Many infiltrators have entered. Police are completely silent," she said. Mamata said TMC will raise funds to help party workers affected by post-poll violence and party senior Kalyan Banerjee would oversee the legal aspects of this matter.

Comparing the 2011 change of office with that of BJP's five days ago, she said: "After winning in 2011, I did not allow any oppression. I sent my bulletproof car to Buddhadeb babu. I provided Z-plus security. The day BJP won, they withdrew all our security from that night. On Thursday, I was surprised that my phone was not ringing, messages were not coming. No one was calling me. Then I found that the internet had been withdrawn. They could have informed me an hour earlier. I don't want anyone's sympathy."

TMC national general secretary Abhishek also alleged post-poll violence and posted on X: "Attacks on party offices, intimidation of our party workers and threats against supporters are deeply alarming and unacceptable in a democratic society."

"We have fought an extremely difficult election where nearly 30 lakh genuine voters were allegedly disenfranchised from electoral rolls. We witnessed what we believe was deeply partisan conduct by several govt agencies as well as the Election Commission... Many dedicated Trinamool workers… have been forced to flee their homes out of fear..." Abhishek wrote, urging party workers to stay "strong and united in difficult times".