Kolkata, June 06: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee today renewed his appeal to the Trinamool Congress for withdrawing tomorrow`s 12-hour bandh and invited the party for talks on its demands, but TC was non-committal on calling it off. A bandh is the last resort where there is no room for talks. But in this case there is room for discussion. I have invited the Trinamool for talks, Bhattacharjee told newsmen at the state secretariat.
He had written to the Trinamool Congress leader of the opposition Pankaj Banerjee inviting him for discussion on his party`s demands, the chief minister said. Stating that generally he was not against a bandh on `genuine` issues and that he could not stop anyone from calling one as it was a democratic country, Bhattacharjee said, at the same time, it should be eschewed.
The state`s image also takes a serious beating if this kind of bandh is called frequently, he said. The Trinamool Congress, however, remained non-committal on calling off the bandh and said the party leaders were discussing the issue.
Admitting that he had received the chief minister`s letter to withdraw the bandh, Pankaj Banerjee told reporters that discussions were being held in the party forum on the issue.
But the bandh has not been called off so far, he said. Bureau Report