Lalbagh (West Bengal): Former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Sunday said it was Trinamool Congress which stood by Narendra Modi after the 2002 Gujarat riots, and the party has not once said it will not join hands with BJP after the elections.
Addressing an election rally here, Bhattacharjee said: "When no one stood by Narendra Modi after the 2002 Gujarat riots, Trinamool Congress stood by it," he alleged, adding "Trinamool Congress has not once said it will not join hands with the BJP after the elections, they are craving for power."
Bhattacharjee said, it would be a "disaster" if Narendra Modi became the prime minister.
"What will happen if Narendra Modi becomes the Prime Minister and after that riots take place? Disaster will occur," Bhattacharjee said.
"He has never apologised for the Gujarat riots during his tenure as the chief minister," he said.
"Never has such allegations risen against any chief minister. But he is saying he won't apologise," the former West Bengal chief minister said.
Training his guns also on the Congress, the CPI(M) leader said, "Congress has to be removed as it is a party of the rich, while BJP has to be prevented as it is also a party of the rich as well as that of riots."
"We are trying to bring together all the anti-Congress and anti-BJP parties. We have got 11 parties to sit together," he said.
Stating that the combined total of BJP and Congress' voteshare was less than 50 per cent of the total votes, he talked of forming a people's government at the Centre.
"The policy of such a government will be to give land to the poor, 35 kg rice to all poor people at Rs two per kg. We want to formulate laws to ensure minimum monthly wages of 10,000 for all workers," Bhattacharjee claimed.
"We had formed a government earlier also, though it could not survive," he said, adding "but if people are with us and we can ensure their welfare, such a government can surely last."
"We the Left Front, had been in power for 34 years in West Bengal by ensuring work and people's welfare. People did not bring us back to power so many times just like that," Bhattacharjee claimed.
Taking on the TMC, Bhattacharjee claimed it had supported all the policies of the Congress and only after coming out of it they have been crying foul.
Referring to TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee's assertion that there was a conspiracy to kill her following a fire in her hotel suite in Malda a few days ago, Bhattacharjee said "she is saying there is a conspiracy to kill her. This is a lie, she has been resorting to lies all along.
"She has been giving such speeches that one of our men in Birbhum was beaten to death," the CPI(M) leader alleged, adding "it is because of her speech that this has happened."
On multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam, he said "they are making so many allegations against us saying it started during our term. So many things started during the Left Front (government), so all responsibility will be ours?"
"It is a scam of thousands of crores of rupees. Where has the money gone and to whom? Everything will come out. It (TMC) talks about being truthful, but it is a government of lies," he alleged.
Bhattacharjee asserted that a message must go the present government in the state through this election with regard to law and order, price rise and other issues.
