Asok talks of people's alliance

TT, Siliguri, Jan. 20: Darjeeling district Left Front leaders today said the "people's alliance" to defeat Trinamul has been formed in the state.

Today, around 5,000 Left supporters marched on Hill Cart Road here and demonstrated near the north Bengal development department office in Vivekananda Bhavan to protest non-cooperation of the state towards the Siliguri Municipal Corporation and Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad, the SJDA scam and plight of tea workers in sick and closed gardens along with other issues.

"It is immaterial which party flag an individual is carrying because each person is spontaneously joining hands with the other with the sole intention of removing Trinamul from power in Bengal. We are calling for a consolidation of such people, irrespective of their political inclinations," Siliguri mayor Asok Bhattacharya told the marchers.

"The people's alliance has already been formed to remove Trinamul from power," he added.

Today, the mayor reiterated the slogan " Trinamul hotao, Bangla bachao," (remove Trinamul to save Bengal), which former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had mentioned at a recent public meeting in south Bengal.

Bhattacharya said: "Trinamul supremo Mamata Banerjee is holding party meetings at government expenses. She can read the writing on the wall well and she is feeling intimidated seeing the alliance of the common people."

Jibesh Sarkar, the Darjeeling district Left Front convener, also spoke on similar lines. "People are free to vote whoever they want but we are determined to stop the ruling party from resorting to any violence or malpractice. The colours of party flags might be different but people are coming together against the ruling party."

He added: "On January 28, similar protests and rallies would be held in all blocks of Siliguri subdivision and in town. On January 26, we will organise manab bandhan(human chain) for 10 minutes across the state to spread the message of brotherhood, harmony."