This marked one more transfer by Mamata to place distance between her and an agitation led by the Trinamool Congress that propelled her to energy, changing the Left, but additionally led to Tata Motors taking its flagship Nano plant to Gujarat in 2008. Whereas it may need notched up political factors for the TMC when within the Opposition, it’s an uneasy legacy when Mamata is attempting to woo funding, and now faces the BJP because the TMC’s greatest rival within the state.
Subsequent up are the panchayat polls, for which the State Election Fee has already began preparations, after which come the Lok Sabha polls during which the BJP final time surprised the TMC with its surge.
Within the 2011 Meeting elections, Singur had been the TMC’s prime agenda, other than one other agitation in opposition to land acquisition led by the get together in Nandigram. Her win had marked the tip of 34 years of Left rule.
Mockingly, accused of being obstructionist in opening as much as enterprise, the Left was on the time attempting to recast its picture, and the Nano plant was a showcase funding for its authorities. Round 1,000 acres of farmland had been acquired for the venture.
After the Tatas moved out and Mamata got here to energy, the land was taken again following a court docket order. Within the 11 years since, the TMC authorities has succeeded in returning the land to its house owners, however solely partly.
On Wednesday, Mamata stated: “There are folks spreading canards that I drove the Tatas away from West Bengal. I didn’t power them away, but it surely was the CPI(M) which drove them away… You (the CPI-M) forcibly took land from the folks for the venture, we returned that land.”
She additionally stated that her authorities had since arrange “so many tasks”, however by no means taken any land forcibly. “Why ought to we take land forcibly? There isn’t a dearth of land right here.”
Referring to the Tajpur port venture of the Adani group and the Deucha Pachami coal mine venture, the CM stated: “We welcome industrialists. There isn’t a discrimination in Bengal. We wish every industrialist to take a position right here.”
Standing beside her, Singur MLA and minister Becharam Manna, who was a part of the Singur agitation of the TMC, repeated the identical.
A file picture from Mamata Banerjee’s starvation strike in opposition to the Tata Nano manufacturing unit at Singur in December 2006. (Categorical picture by Subham Dutta)
Among the many first to assault Mamata was former TMC MLA from Singur Rabindranath Bhattacharya, who was additionally a part of the agitation. Earlier than the 2021 Meeting elections, he give up the TMC and joined the BJP.
Asserting the TMC’s function in stalling the plant, Bhattacharya stated: “We arrange a protest stage on the Singur manufacturing unit gate, which compelled the Tatas to close the manufacturing unit there.”
The CPI(M) management accused Mamata of resorting to falsehood. Central Committee member Sujan Chakaborty stated she ought to obtain “a D.Lit for mendacity”.
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, an advocate, stated: “All people in Bengal is witness to what Mamata did, together with the so-called quick in the course of the Singur motion… I used to be a witness when the Trinamool authorities fought the case within the Supreme Courtroom. The entire state is witness to the truth that she drove out Tata Motors from Bengal.
Lok Sabha BJP MP Locket Chatterjee quipped, “After her declare that the CPI(M) forcibly drove out the Tatas, Mamata Banerjee could now say that she didn’t need to turn into the CM however the CPI(M) forcefully made her.”
West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury additionally attacked Mamata. “She not solely confirmed the doorways to Tata Motors in Bengal, however later the Tata Motors manufacturing unit was destroyed by her authorities with a dynamite blast. Then, CM Mamata Banerjee ceremoniously handed over the land to the farmers. She is clearly not talking the reality. After 11 years, she is saying this.”
In 2016, after the Supreme Courtroom order ordering the return of the land taken for the Tata venture to farmers, Mamata had tweeted simply earlier than a programme to mark Singur Day: “In the present day marks the anniversary of the historic day when our Govt of #Bangla handed over to farmers the parchas of land forcibly acquired in Singur. We reiterate our dedication to the welfare of farmers, alongside selling business. My humble pronam to Maa, Mati, Manush.”
Earlier than the Meeting elections in 2016, CM Mamata stated in an interview: “I’m keen to speak. They (the Tatas) can arrange a plant on 600 acres of land at Singur.”
A senior chief of the TMC admitted that modified circumstances had been behind Mamata’s assertion. “In 2011, our get together got here to energy with the push supplied by the Singur and Nandigram motion. That point our predominant problem was to return farmland to its house owners. However now our predominant problem is to create employment alternatives and get business.”
He added that the Singur motion would all the time be “a optimistic a part of our political historical past”. “After the Singur and Nandigram actions, the TMC received a brand new identification in West Bengal in addition to in the entire nation.”
The chief additionally referred to the strain on the TMC on account of its leaders dealing with numerous corruption instances, together with over the job rip-off, and the get together’s efforts to recast its picture forward of the panchayat polls. Mamata made an indirect reference to the identical in her speech, saying she would proceed offering jobs to the folks, however that there have been forces “creating hindrance”.