Mamata asks partymen to prepare for 'war'

Raising the political heat ahead of assembly poll in West Bengal due next year, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday asked her party workers to prepare for a 'war' to drive out the Left Front government and had a dig at the Centre on anti-Naxal operations by joint security forces.

"You have to wage a war to drive out Communist Party of India-Marxist in coming assembly elections. Get prepared for that," Banerjee told mediapersons after the party's general council meeting in Kolkata.

Asking her partymen to take out rallies and processions statewide, she cautioned them about illegal arms being smuggled in. "The illegal arms supply points to CPI-M. Election is knocking at the door and CPI-M has to be driven out of power politically," she said.

"We urge party workers to take on CPI-M in the elections and counter its onslaught on innocent people, form anti-terror forums and launch poster campaigns demanding immediate winding up of CPI-M's armed camps," she said, adding she had information that the Marxist party was smuggling in arms in ambulances and police vans.

On the Centre's 'silence' on her demand for withdrawal of joint forces from West Midnapore district 'we don't need a joint venture like CPI-M has with the joint forces in Junglemahal.

"With the Centre's mercy, CPI-M has been occupying village after village assisted by the joint forces in the name of curbing Maoists," she alleged. "I don't like politics of depending on Delhi's consent. I am raising my voice against blatant misuse of central forces by CPI-M at Lalgarh and other places, which the Centre is not looking at," Banerjee said.

Banerjee alleged CPI-M was raising the bogey of Maoists with an ulterior motive to win elections whereas earlier it had taken the support of the ultras in the polls.

Criticising CPI-M for questioning her party's patriotism, Banerjee said 'those who meet Kashmiri separatist leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani have no right to doubt our patriotism. These people are traitors.'

Announcing a slew of party programmes she said that a mass signature campaign would be launched from October 25 to demand withdrawal of the joint forces from Junglemahal.

A human chain would be formed statewide on October 28 for one hour from 3:00 pm to protest CPI-M's 'terror and to demand restoration of peace.'

She said that on October 30 she would visit Maoist-hit Bankura and Purulia districts.