Left Front walks out of all-party meeting on hooch

The meeting in Speaker Biman Banerjee's chamber in the state legislative assembly began on a tumultuous note with Leader of Opposition Surya Kanta Mishra of teh Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) asking Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee to withdraw the allegations he had levelled against the Left Front major Dec 15 and Dec 16.

However, as Chatterjee refused, the CPI-M representatives staged a walk-out, saying both the all-party meeting and the Criminal Investigation Department probe ordered by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have become "meaningless" after the government made the allegation against the opposition party.

Later, Mishra - also a CPI-M state secretariat member - alleged that the "canards" were being spread against his party to "protect" the real perpetrators of the tragedy that has left 171 dead. The CPI-M leader also claimed the toll was 187.

"We feel, the canards were spread on behalf of the government to protect the actual perpetrators of the crime. They said we have done this to deflect public attention from the AMRI fire incident," he said.

"We had asked them to withdraw the allegation, but they did not agree. They commented whatever they have said was ok and they won't withdraw."
Countering Mishra, Chatterjee accused the CPI-M of enacting a "political drama" as a "strategy".

"They are not in a position to politically combat our stand. Whatever they did was planned. We told them leave alone withdrawing the remarks. We stated as leaders of a political party, we will also not budge an inch from what we said."

"It was their strategy to walk out of the meeting. When they saw they could not get what they wanted by shouting, they went out and informed the media of the 'revolutionary drama' they staged during their half-hour stay at the meeting," Chatterjee said.

The minister alleged that during the 34-year Left Front rule, liquor shops were opened one after the other in the districts. "It is now crystal clear that a CPI-M man is behind the tragedy."

Chatterjee said the CPI-M could not absolve itself of its responsibilities "as so many lives have been lost due to the nefarious activities of those carrying its (CPI-M) flag".

By walking out, the opposition had tried to scuttle the chief minister's efforts to launch a united fight against the "social evil", he claimed.

"But their absence had no impact. The other parties (Trinamool, Congress and other parties), we all had a very positive discussions. We will inform the CM of the recommendations tonight (Monday night)," he said.

Mishra also contested the toll given by the state government officials, saying: "Our figure is 176 have died in hospital, while 11 persons were buried or burnt. The government should verify this."

He alleged that nearly 350 people have been killed during the 212-day rule of the Trinamool Congress-Congress government.

"Apart from the hooch tragedy victims, this includes 51 LF supporters, 94 deaths in AMRI Hospital fire, four in police firing and ten in Maoist and other violence."

The hooch-related deaths took place after the victims - mostly hawkers, masons and labourers - consumed the moonshine in illegal liquor dens located in South 24-Parganas district's Sangrampur village, barely 50 km from Kolkata.