I did not drive Tatas out, CPI(M) did: Mamata Banerjee

Fourteen years after Tatas pulled out of West Bengal’s Singur and abandoned the idea of manufacturing their car in the state, All India Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee—who had led the agitation against the alleged “forced” land acquisition for the project—said on Wednesday that she did not drive the Tatas out of the state.

Instead, she held the Communist Party of India (Marxist), CPI(M), responsible—the party which was in power at the time—with other Left partners for the unfortunate decision.

“Some people are bad-mouthing [that] I drove the Tata(s) out, Tata [which] was offering jobs. I didn’t drive Tata out, CPI(M) did. I don’t want to indulge in political talk here. You [CPI(M)] had wanted to acquire people’s land forcefully. We have returned the land,” Banerjee said, addressing a post-Puja gathering at Siliguri, in north Bengal.

She added that while her government had executed many projects, it had not yet taken away anyone’s land by force.

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In 2007, the Left government in West Bengal had acquired around 1,000 acres in Singur, where the Tata Group commenced building a car manufacturing unit. Following an intense Trinamool-led agitation against the acquisition of land, Tatas pulled out in 2008. The project was relocated with a new factory at Sanand in Gujarat.

The project exit was a watershed moment in West Bengal’s history that was followed by Trinamool coming to power.

Since coming to power for the second consecutive term, the Trinamool has been attempting to put forth a pro-industry stand. “I am speaking clearly. The industrialists that we have…no discrimination…. We want everyone to invest in Bengal. With investment, if need be, they generate employment opportunities,” Banerjee said, enumerating the industrial projects underway in the state.

The chief minister claimed that massive works were in progress across the state, and she wanted employment opportunities for generations at a large scale.

She hinted there were groups that were against job creation in the state and were trying to obstruct industrial development.

“We will offer jobs regularly, and a business environment will be created – instead of you seeking jobs, you will be approached for the same,” she said.

Sujan Chakraborty, senior CPI(M) leader in the state, however, was dismissive of Banerjee’s comments. “The Trinamool chief can further add that it was the Left supporters who had agitated on the expressway,” Chakraborty said sarcastically.

He claimed that with cases of corruption being unearthed, the Trinamool was “losing sense”.

The CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim termed Banerjee’s statement a “big lie”.