Mamata challenges Left, says Marxists won't be in power till 3016

Slamming the Left Front over its "violent" peasants rally, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said Marxists won't come to power in the state for another 1,000 years.

A day after the Left rally turned violent, leaving many people including policeman injured, Banerjee accused the front led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) of political bankruptcy and asserted it will take her "one minute to reply to the challenge by the Marxists".

Hitting back, the Left said Banerjee's speech reeked of her "dictatorial attitude".

"Those who have been rejected by people, those who follow archaic politics are trying to create tension... Is this what comrades call politics?" she told a gathering on the foundation day of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad, the party's student wing.

"The CPI-M is politically bankrupt, its ideology is bricks, guns and killing. Forget 2016, the CPI-M will not come back to power even in 3016. They have been rejected by people everywhere," said Banerjee.

Challenging the CPI-M to fight "politically instead of using violence", the chief minister said it "won't take me a minute to reply to their challenge".

Blaming the Left for taking Bengal to the brink of destruction, Banerjee charged the CPI-M, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with forging a tacit understanding to create trouble.

"Calling shutdowns at the drop of a hat has become the hobby of the opposition. Protests do not mean 'goondaism'. We too protested when we were in opposition but never resorted to violence," she said.

With major trade unions calling a general strike on September 2, Banerjee reiterated that her government will not allow any kind of strike or shutdown.

Likening Thursday's agitation to a "hellish rampage", she called upon student activists to ensure such a scenario is not repeated.

Reacting strongly, Leader of Opposition and CPI-M state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra lambasted the Trinamool and its supremo.

"Today, she declared it will take her just one minute to teach us a lesson. Her provocative speech reeks of her dictatorial attitude," said Mishra.

"The chief minister dares to finish the Left in a minute. I would ask her to wait till September 2. She should not tax the people's patience further," said Mishra.

He said the BJP-led central government and the Trinamool were on the same page when it came to throttling democratic voices.