A day after business tycoon Gautam Adani met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the CPI(M) and BJP targeted the TMC for its initial criticism of Adani Group. In a Facebook post, senior CPI(M) leader Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya alleged that the TMC was part of the “Modi Club” and it was promoting of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and corporates.
Former CPI(M) MP Mohammad Salim predicted that it was “only a matter of time” before TMC MP Mahua Moitra deleted her tweets critical of Adani. Adani in a tweet said he had discussed “investment scenarios and tremendous potential of West Bengal” with Mamata at the state secretariat. He said he would attend the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) in April 2022.
The BJP also took a dig at Mamata. “Now they are sitting in chairs and holding meetings. Questions should be asked why they had opposed the business tycoon earlier and criticised him. The TMC should hide its face in shame,” said state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar. The TMC said there was nothing wrong in attracting investment proposals from Adani Group.
“Those who come to West Bengal with investment respecting our land policy, industrial policy and agricultural policy are very much welcome. Why would we lose investment because of politics?” said TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh.
Citing the Singur protest against a Tata project in 2013, Ghosh alleged CPM had tried to sell farm land to corporates. “The CPM should remember that they had brought in Tata Motors and others in Bengal. Shouldn’t they be called the promoter of corporates? They had tried to sell farm lands to suit corporates. Have they forgotten their past?” Ghosh asked.
