JOIN USNo question of alliance with TMC in West Bengal: Sitaram Yechury
Even as he said that defeating the BJP was the main target of the CPI(M) and its participation in unity of secular opposition parties will continue, party general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Friday ruled out any alliance with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal.
Speaking to reporters in Kolkata, he said that there was no question of an alliance with the TMC in the state as it has inflicted atrocities on the grassroots level workers of the CPI(M).
“Nothing of that sort will happen in Bengal because the contradiction with the TMC at the ground level remains. Why are there attacks on the Red Volunteers and on people who demand that vaccination should be done impartially. If such things happen there will be resistance,” said Yechury. Red volunteers are CPI(M) workers engaged in social work such as Covid-19 patients.
However, he avoided a direct reply to the question as to whether the CPI(M) will join forces with the TMC in Tripura to oust the BJP from power in the state. Yechury only pointed out that earlier the TMC leaders in Tripura have joined the BJP adding that some of them even became Ministers in the BJP government.
He also said that CPI(M) was the main target of BJP’s attacks in Tripura and its workers were being assaulted.
“Our party’s top priority is to defeat the BJP. TMC was there earlier in Tripura. But they joined the BJP. The actual situation in Tripura is that we are fighting against the BJP since it came to power there. CPI(M) has been the principal of the BJP’s attacks in Tripura,” said Yechury.
Yechury admitted that slogans such as 'Bjmool', a sarcastic coinage used by Left workers to claim covert understanding between the BJP and the TMC, ahead of the Assembly election was a mistake and the Central Committee has taken note of it.
“The situation has now changed. It was decided by the Central and state Committee that the main target was the BJP, even then equating the two (TMC and the BJP) was wrong. The Central Committee discussed the issue and said it was wrong. The state Committee has also said it was wrong,” said Yechury.