Mamata remembers Singur rape victim

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday remembered Tapasi Malik, who was brutally raped and burnt to death during the Singur land agitation in 2006, on her death anniversary.

She also urged people of the state to remember those who lost their lives in political violence during the 34 years of Left-Front regime in Bengal.

"On this day in 2006, Tapasi Malik was brutally raped and burnt to death in Singur. Let us also never forget the martyrs of the 34 years of violence under the Left-Front," Banerjee tweeted.

Malik was an active member of the agitation against the then Left-Front government's land acquisition for the Tata Motors' Nano factory in Hoogly district's Singur. Her body was found inside the factory premises in December 2006.

Banerjee and her party Trinamool Congress was at the forefront of the Singur land agitation, which saw massive protests by the farmers over forcible acquisition of land for the car factory and eventually forced Tata Motors to leave keeping the project incomplete.

In a separate tweet, Banerjee stressed on the need to uphold the rights of minority communities in the country on occasion of Minority Rights Day.

"Today is Minority Rights Day. We must pledge to uphold the rights of all minority communities. After all, India stands for unity in diversity."

--IANS

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