LF, Congress 'disappointed' with Mamata's meeting

The Congress and the Left Front on Friday expressed disappointment over the first state level administrative meeting of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in her second term, and accused her of remaining silent over the burning issues of post-poll violence in the state and price hike.

Leader of Opposition in the Bengal assembly Abdul Mannan said Banerjee's silence over post-poll violence has exposed her "dual stance".

"We thought that the chief minister in her first administrative meeting will order the state administration to take strong steps to stop the post-poll violence and arrest the miscreants, without taking into account their political affinity, so that nobody's democratic rights are infringed upon. But she remained silent", said Mannan.

Mannan also accused Banerjee of not raising her voice against price hike.

"Mamata Banerjee takes pride in distributing rice at Rs 2 per kg, which is actually a central government project under Food Security Act, but she remains indifferent despite potato price going up to Rs 26 per kg."

Terming as a "gimmick" the West Bengal government's recently announced plans to offer special "Roza" food packets at a subsidised rate during Ramadan, Mannan said, "In the month of Ramadan earlier too Muslims used to get sugar, flour and other food items at subsidised rates. This is nothing new."

Sujan Chakraborty, Left Front's leader of legislature party, said it seemed Banerjee was "trying to pretend" whatever she is doing is new.

--IANS

int/ssp/ahm/vt