<p>The city came to a halt as the Left Front, in a show of strength before the Panchayat election likely at the end of this year, organised a large rally in North Kolkata attended by veteran leaders.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Though the rally was mainly designed as a mark of protest against ‘American imperialism’ and ‘effort to control India’ politically and economically, the demonstration inevitably became a protest against the Mamata Banerjee-led government.<br /><br />Speaking on the occasion, former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee, who couldn’t walk in the rally due to poor health, said: “Since independence never before a US secretary of state has come to Writers’ Building. We are now seeing such scenes. There is no precedence of inviting the US President to the state. But now Obama has been invited.”<br /><br />“On the one hand (Mamata) is protesting against FDI in retail in India and, on the other, she is inviting Obama to the state. This should be enough for people to understand everything,” Bhattacharjee said.<br /><br />During Hillary Clinton’s visit to Kolkata in May, Banerjee invited Obama to the youth festival to be held in Kolkata in January 2013. “America is trying to dictate terms to each and every nation. They are now planning to dictate terms to China. They are strategically surrounding China and in this strategic movement they want India as their partner,” Bhattacherjee said.<br /><br />Alleging that US was eyeing Indian markets especially retail, pension and banking sectors for its own vested economic interests, Bhattacharjee said: “They are instigating India against China. They want to hold joint military and strategic exercise with India.<br /> What is the need for holding joint exercise? The need is to prepare them for fighting China.”<br /></p>
<p>The city came to a halt as the Left Front, in a show of strength before the Panchayat election likely at the end of this year, organised a large rally in North Kolkata attended by veteran leaders.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Though the rally was mainly designed as a mark of protest against ‘American imperialism’ and ‘effort to control India’ politically and economically, the demonstration inevitably became a protest against the Mamata Banerjee-led government.<br /><br />Speaking on the occasion, former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee, who couldn’t walk in the rally due to poor health, said: “Since independence never before a US secretary of state has come to Writers’ Building. We are now seeing such scenes. There is no precedence of inviting the US President to the state. But now Obama has been invited.”<br /><br />“On the one hand (Mamata) is protesting against FDI in retail in India and, on the other, she is inviting Obama to the state. This should be enough for people to understand everything,” Bhattacharjee said.<br /><br />During Hillary Clinton’s visit to Kolkata in May, Banerjee invited Obama to the youth festival to be held in Kolkata in January 2013. “America is trying to dictate terms to each and every nation. They are now planning to dictate terms to China. They are strategically surrounding China and in this strategic movement they want India as their partner,” Bhattacherjee said.<br /><br />Alleging that US was eyeing Indian markets especially retail, pension and banking sectors for its own vested economic interests, Bhattacharjee said: “They are instigating India against China. They want to hold joint military and strategic exercise with India.<br /> What is the need for holding joint exercise? The need is to prepare them for fighting China.”<br /></p>
