Vijayawada: The CPI(M) on Monday charged that
the Trinamool Congress has "legitimised" the outlawed Maoists
by organising a joint rally at Lalgarh in West Bengal and
demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh answer to the
country on the "tie-up".
"The Prime Minister went on record on the floor of
Rajya Sabha that Maoists posed a grave threat to the country's
internal security. Now, the Trinamool Congress that is part of
the Central government has legitimised the Maoists by openly
patronising them," CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechury said.
Addressing a press conference on the sidelines of the
party's Extended Central Committee meeting here today, Yechury
said there was a "glaring contradiction" in the TMC-Congress
alliance.
"It's like hunting with the hounds and running with
the hares. It is sheer opportunism on part of the Congress,"
he lashed out.
Reacting to TMC chief Mamata Banjerjee's allegations
about misuse of Central funds by the West Bengal government,
the CPM leader said such allegations could not stand any
water.
On Mamata's outbursts as well as social activist Swami
Agnivesh's comments at the Lalgarh rally against the CPM, he
said: "It's a democratic country and everyone can give their
own speech."
To the Union Railway Minister's claim that they could
venture into Lalgarh without carrying guns, Yechury shot back:
"When the Maoists themselves are organizing the rally, where
the need for guns?'
CPM AP secretariat member Y Venkateswara Rao was also
present.
-PTI
First Published: Monday, August 09, 2010, 21:10