Trinamool’s Lalgarh rally angers other parties

The issue was raised in both Houses of parliament during the zero hour.

Centre questioned on Mamta’s support to Maoists
A. Sampath (Communist Party of India (Marxist)) raised his voice against the rally in the Lokh Sabha.

He questioned the centre that how a ruling alliance member and its leader supported Maoists when PM Manmohan Singh called Maoists as the “biggest threat to internal security.”

In the Rajya Sabha, Left was supported by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Biju Janta Dal (BJD).

Though Congress didn’t speak much on the issue, they said that the rally was conducted to promote peace and shun violence in the area.

The Maoist backed People’s Community against Police Atrocities (PCPA) also supported the rally called by Mamta Banerjee.

But Trinamool Chief Sudip Bandopadhyay stated that Banerjee’s mission to Lalgarh was to promote peace and harmony.

Mamta declared Azad’s death a murder
Railway Minister talked about the encounter of Cherukuri Rajkumar, also named Azad, and declared it a murder.

While addressing a huge rally in West Bengal, Mamta said, “That (the killing of Azad) was not proper. I pay my respects to the departed soul. Azad’s peace initiatives should restart immediately.”

Azad was involved in many murder cases including one of Congress legislator Narsa Reddy and a failed assassination attempt on former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Janardhan Reddy.

Mamta even demanded the withdrawal of central forces from the region, stressing that she did not believe in “enforcing peace at gunpoint.”

"I am no Maoist. I also don't require arms to hold my meetings in Lalgarh and I'm saying this right at this very meeting which was convened to stop terror in Maoist-infested Lalgarh and Jangalmahal and establish peace and democracy,” Mamta said.

"No one is my foe and I consider everyone my friend. I also condemn any death, be it the death of a CPM activist, a Maoist activist, a central force jawan or one of my supporters. To me, every death is painful and I am against the politics of elimination.”

She even urged the Maoists not to indulge in violence, and urged them to follow the path of peace, and asserted that she does not support the politics of killing.

Mamta also opposed the Land Acquisition Bill by the centre and promised to prevent the “plunder of the forest wealth.”