Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Saturday alleged that unable to fight her politically, Communist Party of India-Marxist has hatched a conspiracy to eliminate her and discussed forming a suicide squad for that.
"CPI-M and some other political parties which have vested interests-- I am not speaking about all parties--have held a meeting and hatched a conspiracy to eliminate me. Such a meeting was held, you can inquire," Banerjee told mediapersons in Kolkata.
She charged that at the meeting CPI-M discussed forming a suicide squad to eliminiate her and that whatever money was required would be paid.
Banerjee claimed she had information of this and thought that West Bengal government had it too.
"CPI-M ministers and leaders are keeping a watch on my movements. They are inquiring about my movements. A conspiracy is afoot to kill me," she alleged.
"Is it fair politics? They cannot fight us politically. They are cowards," she said. She also alleged a suicide squad was formed by CPI-M to eliminate Trinamool youth Congress president and MP Shubhendu Adhikari.
Asked how she knew about the suicide squads, Banerjee said "Why is CPI-M setting up so many camps of armed cadre in West Midnapore? Because they want to kill me."
'Trinamool not to pull down UPA govt'
Mamata also said though her party, Trinamool Congress, was against price rise, it would do nothing to pull down the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre.
"We would like the government to consider reducing the prices to some extent. Like them (CPI-M) we will not pull down the government. We are one hundred per cent with the government till we are there," Banerjee, whose party has 19 MPs in the Lok Sabha, said.
Asked to comment on CPI-M's charge that her party was not vocal on the issue, she said since Trinamool Congress was a part of the coalition, it had sought a discussion in Parliament on the rise in prices of petroleum products under a rule which does not entail voting.
Accusing CPI-M of adopting "double-standards", she said the party was stalling Parliament with other opposition parties on the issue of price rise and at the same time raising power tariff in West Bengal.
Demanding immediate reversal of the hike in power tariff, Banerjee said her party would demonstrate before all police stations in the state on that issue and also on price rise from Sunday.
The Trinamool chief said she could not understand why the state government did not lift the cess on petroleum products like some other states.
"When petrol prices are hiked to Rs 4 a litre, the state government realises cess of Rs 8 which is a burden on the common people," she said.