Asok slams CM

TT, Siliguri, April 12: Mayor Asok Bhattacharya today said Mamata Banerjee was responsible for the financial constraints faced by the Siliguri municipal corporation.

Yesterday, the chief minister had said at a public meeting here that Bhattacharya had failed to develop Siliguri in 10 months.

"The chief minister said I had not been able to bring about development in the city after I became the mayor 10 months back. But when she tried to highlight the failure of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation, she exposed herself once again because people now understand that she is responsible for the financial constrains of the SMC. It is at her instruction that different departments of the state government have stopped funds for the civic body," said Bhattacharya, the CPM candidate for Siliguri Assembly seat.

He said Trinamul would not be able to win a single seat in Darjeeling district.

"She referred to me as 'this person' and mocked the Siliguri model. I consider it derogatory and feel that she should have realised that she was talking about a mayor who is the first citizen of the city before making such comments," Bhattacharya said.

She had said she would implement all development projects in Siliguri if Bhattacharya was defeated (addressing him as "this person" without mentioning his name).