Kolkata: Senior CPI(M) leader Biman Bose
on Wednesday alleged that the alliance between Congress and Trinamool
for the West Bengal Assembly elections was formed "under
pressure" from the US.
"It has been revealed that under US pressure the
Congress accepted the alliance with Trinamool Congress on the
latter`s terms for the Assembly election in West Bengal and
agreed to contest in 65 out of a total 294 seats," CPI(M)
state secretary Biman Bose told reporters here.
"Recently, WikiLeaks said that the alliance was formed
due to the pressure from the Americans," Bose told a
`Meet-the-Press` programme at the Kolkata Press Club.
Claiming that "foreign pressure" was working in the
election, he said, "Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had taken a
leading part. Under his pressure the Congress leaderhip had to
bow their heads to the Trinamool Congress."
He said that "national and international reactionary
forces" had infiltrated in the polls this time around and
blackmoney was accumulating in the coffers of "a political
party."
"And, with the help of this blackmoney, campaigning is
being carried out in a helicopter," Bose said in an apparent
reference to Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee who has been
using choppers during campaigns.
Banerjee had said that the helicopter was provided by
the Congress.
Bose said that "foreign forces, particularly US
imperialists" did not like the Leftists.
"They did not like the Left MPs protesting in
Parliament against the pro-US policies including the nuclear
deal."
He said the "animus against the Left-led government
has international dimensions. None other than former US
ambassador to India, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, revealed in his
memoirs that US twice funded efforts against the Communists
during elections."
Asked how the CPI(M) was quoting Wikileaks when it had
categorically denied what it had said about West Bengal Chief
Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and party general secretary
Prakash Karat, Bose retorted, saying, "A parallel should not
be drawn between the two."
He said that Bhattacharjee had denied being in favour
of liberalisation and Karat had given rejoinder to the
WikiLeaks` expose in which the US Embassy in New Delhi
had reportedly described Karat as an "extortionist".
"The Trinamool Congress funds for campaigning has
surpassed the poll expenses of all other political parties in
West Bengal," he claimed, adding that he did not have the same
evidence about the Congress.
He demanded that Election Commission should probe
Trinamool`s source of funds for campaigns.
Asked specifically who had supplied the alleged
blackmoney to Trinamool, he said, "I am not sure who had paid
the money."
The Trinamool Congress has already denied blackmoney
allegations and threatened to file a defamation suit against
the CPI(M) leader Gautam Deb for making such accusations.
PTI
