People's Democracy

Mamata Banerjee And Her Lies

THE manifesto of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (about the publication of which the CPI-M has rightly raised the query on the need for printing it separately over and above that of the BJP, such is the similarity between the two) plainly states that “necessary legislation will be introduced for encouraging private initiatives in the coal sector” while there would be given scope to “encourage private investment in the mines sector.”

Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee had undoubtedly been liberal with the truth when on taking up the charge of the coal and mines ministry she had declared that she “has successfully warded off the privatisation of coal and mines.”  She was again flirting seriously with the untruth when, on being asked by newspersons in Kolkata and earlier in New Delhi on April 9, on her reaction to the NDA manifesto’s more-than-a-clear suggestion in favour of privatisation, she said that she has already received “assurance from the PM that coal and mines shall not be privatised.”  (Mercifully, she did not produce any copy of a ‘fax message from the PM’ in this regard as is her wont whenever she would hedge and fudge with facts).

Indeed the manner, irritated and confused, with which she uttered these words carried anything but conviction.  When pressed further, she said something to the effect that she has not had the time to go through the manifesto before signing it.  This hardly needs to be commented upon, one does believe, such is the spontaneity of lying that comes shining through.

This is especially because the BJP president who came down to Kolkata right after Mamata Banerjee did made it clear quite amply to the questioning media that “whatever is there in the manifesto regarding the privatisation of coal and mines has been written with the full consent of Mamata Banerjee and we do believe that she never had an opposing opinion to offer in this regard.”  Enough said?