WB Congress counters Mamata's Delhi rally

Countering Mamata Banerjee's rally in Delhi on Monday, the West Bengal Congress on Monday warned her not to 'misguide' the people on FDI in retail and threatened to call a bandh in the state if its entry was resisted.

"We may be forced to call a bandh in the state if the Trinamool Congress government dares to resist FDI entry in West Bengal. The chief minister should stop misguiding the people on FDI in retail," WBPCC President Pradip Bhattacharya told a rally at Hazra, close to the Trinamool Congress chief's residence. "People of Bengal will not forgive Mamata Banerjee if she obstructs entry of FDI in retail in the state. I hope she will not make such a mistake since FDI in retail is essential to boost our national economy," Bhattacharya told party rallyists who marched from Indira Gandhi's statue on the Maidan.

"It is a wrong notion, being deliberately touted to misdirect poor farmers, retailers and traders that FDI in retail would encroach on their livelihood," the PCC chief said. Bhattacharya demanded that the the chief minister submit specific evidence about retail traders being affected by functioning of major domestic retailers.

"She has no authority to misguide the people and hurl abuses against the Congress-led UPA government," he said. The WBPCC, he said, would call for a bigger rally shortly to project forcefully that FDI was required to boost the country's economy.