A barrage of criticism by the Forward Bloc, coinciding with a massive CPI rally after 12 years, seems to have unnerved the Left Front big brother as it had never done before.
While an emergency LF meeting began today with a congratulatory note to the CPI for having ‘‘organised such a massive rally’’, senior CPI(M) leaders skipped all reference to FB’s tirades which alleged that ‘‘a section of the landed class has entered the CPI(M)’’.
Left Front chairman Biman Basu, in fact, admitted later during the day that ‘‘lack of frequent bilateral talks lead to such misunderstandings and if the Forward Bloc could give sustainable evidence of corruption against any CPI(M) leader at the Panchayat level, we would inquire into it’’. This was a volte face of sorts after state party secretary Anil Biswas’ said that ‘‘the Forward Bloc is speaking trash’’.
Biswas also advised the Bloc to discuss their misgivings at the Left Front forum, as outbursts in public would only strengthen the hands of rivals like Trinamool, Congress and the BJP. The FB had hurled expletive at the big brother at their farmers’ convention in Goghat, Hooghly, which concluded today.
While the Left Front chairman tried his best to win over the angry partners, FB state secretary Ashoke Ghosh said: ‘‘We don’t depend on a good boy certificate from the CPI(M) to prove that we’re a Left party. If Anil Babu believed in discussion why did he go to the press saying that we would strengthen the hands of Trinamool and BJP?’’
Ghosh, who said that the Bloc was ready for bilateral talks, claimed that ‘‘in Midnapore, Hooghly and Howrah, landowners changed loyalties to CPI(M) overnight during the 1983 panchayat election. What’s wrong in saying that we believe in transparency ?’’
And the CPI(M) did not miss the
message and is willing to give more when it meets for seat-sharing in the
panchayat polls. ‘‘We don’t think that this is negative criticism by the
FB. It’s the press which created this controversy,’’ said Basu.