The Hindu : Rein in Nitish: Mamata

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 22, 2002

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Rein in Nitish: Mamata

By Malabika Bhattacharya

The Trinamool Congress chief, Mamata Banerjee, at a rally organised to commemorate the death of 13 party workers in police firing in 1993, in Kolkata on Sunday. — Photo: Sushanta Patronobish

KOLKATA JULY 21. The Trinamool Congress chief, Mamata Banerjee, has demanded that Nitish Kumar be removed as the Railway Minister, and threatened to call a 72-hour Bengal bandh if the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, failed to check Mr. Kumar from executing the decision to bifurcate the Eastern Railway by July 24.

Addressing a huge rally here today, Ms. Banerjee said she would have no option but to call a bandh for three consecutive days if the Vajpayee-run National Democratic Alliance at the Centre did not rein in Mr. Kumar.

"I appeal to the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister to check the Railway Minister who is fanning provincialism by trying to split the Railways. We have waited for a month and seven days for the Centre to act on the issue. We don't mind waiting for another three days,'' Ms. Banerjee told the rally which applauded her for taking such a "bold stand." The rally was organised to commemorate the killing of 13 Congress supporters in police firing in 1993.

On July 24 — the deadline Ms. Banerjee, herself a former Railway Minister, has set for Mr. Vajpayee and the Deputy Prime minister, L. K. Advani — Trinamool supporters across Bengal would stage demonstrations before all railway stations to press for a review of the decision.

"I appeal to the Prime Minister for whom I have immense regard to restrain Nitish Kumar from playing with fire,'' Ms. Banerjee said.

According to observers, today's rally was significant on two counts. First, Ms. Banerjee turned it into a forum for training the guns on the Centre instead of using it, like earlier occasions, against the State's ruling Leftists. Secondly, for the first time, she offered to jointly launch anti-Centre campaigns with the Leftists and the Congress, her rivals, on the proposed bifurcation. She criticised the State's ruling communists too, though most of her fire was directed against the Railway Minister's " impulsive'' decision and the impact it would have on Bengal's economy.

Ms. Banerjee repeatedly said that she was not keen on becoming a Minister "just for the sake of it'' — she would never sacrifice Bengal's interests for a Cabinet berth.

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