Kolkata, June 22: Senior Forward Bloc leader and West Bengal agriculture minister Kamal Guha today charged Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee with helping industrialists at the cost of farmers and accused state's ruling Left Front major CPI (M) of "high-handedness" towards smaller partners. ''The farmers brought the Left Front to power. But today, we have forgotten them. The interests of industrialists and foreign capitalists are being safeguarded at the cost of those of the farmers,'' Guha said at the Forward Bloc's 64th foundation day celebrations here.

Taking an indirect dig at the chief minister's recent trips to Mumbai and Italy to attract foreign capital, he said, ''in order to safeguard the interests of the farmers, we need not go to Italy or to even Mumbai and Delhi. The government can do so within its own limitations.''

Steps like imposition of cess on land revenue and water tax and increase of hospital charges and education costs will isolate the Left Front from the people, he cautioned.

Referring to the violence after recent panchayat elections, Guha accused CPI(M) of "unleashing atrocities" on other Left Front members. "After every election, the CPI(M) leadership says they would take initiatives in sorting out differences but they never do it."

According to Guha, the state's panchayat system, touted by CPI(M) as an example to the country, is a cause for disunity among LF constituents since it was not run in keeping with LF principles.

Bureau Report