Bengal minister calls for treating CPI-M members like cobras

Kolkata: A West Bengal minister on Thursday compared the CPI-M to a cobra, asking Trinamool Congress activists to treat Left party`s supporters like snakes sneaking into one`s room. "What will you do to a snake if it sneaks into your room? You will beat it up. Similar treatment should be meted out to CPI-M if it enters your room. We can`t help if people beat them up," Food Minister and TMC leader Jyotipriya Mullick told a party meeting at Birati in North 24 Parganas district.

Mullick`s provocative comment dittoed the remark made by TMC MP Subhendu Adhikary last month at Khejuri in East Midnapore district, asking party workers to socially boycott CPI-M leaders and treat them like snakes. Mullick described the CPI-M as "the worst political party, whose leaders have to be smeared with black paint as people have rejected them". He asked CPI-M leaders not to dare hold party meetings anymore as "people may beat them up and we have nothing to do in the event of that happening. People will not spare them if they commit any excess". He even went to the extent of naming CPI-M leaders Prakash Karat, Sitaram Yechury and Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee "who should be boycotted by the people". Mullick also attacked the Congress calling it "a foolish party". The Trinamool leader advised the CPI-M leadership to change their leaders if they wanted to "survive in politics". PTI