Buddha takes on UPA, says vote against CPI(M), not for Mamata

Citing the loss in consecutive elections including, Lok Sabha and then municipalities, West Bengal chief minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, exhorted supporters to come back to the Left, saying that in the past votes for Trinamool have been the result of anti-incumbency, and not a reflection of the opposition’s merit.

At a rally held at Maheshtalla, the incumbent CM, asked the CPI(M) workers to remain humble, while dubbing the Trinamool-Congress coalition as unholy.

“We will have to defeat the unholy Trinamool-Congress alliance that is responsible for unabated inflation, along with hoarding, which is linked to crores of black money stashed in Swiss banks. But, we have erred and we must change our attitude towards the common people to retain power,” he told a rally here.

He also urged union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee to review the Budget proposal of a mandatory levy on ready-made garments and a reduction in the basic customs duty on raw silk.

“I would request you to review these two proposals for saving the apparel industry as well as prevent large-scale unemployment in the sericulture sector in the country,” Bhattacharjee said in a letter to Pranab Mukherjee.

He said the proposal to impose 10 per cent levy only on branded garments and made-up textiles would impact micro and small scale apparel units.

“Imposition of this proposed levy, we are afraid, will adversely affect millions of poor and marginal workers engaged in this industry,” Bhattacharjee said.

The chief minister said the proposal to reduce customs duty on raw silk from 30 per cent to 5 per cent would result in the market being flooded with cheap silk of foreign origin.

“The resultant crash in the prices of raw silk will sound the death knell of sericulture in India in general and in vast areas of West Bengal in particular,” he said.

Bhattacharjee said a better option would be to allow canalised imports and subsequent marketing on exempted duty basis to stop silk prices from spiralling out of control.