IndianBox

West Bengal’s industry-friendly CPI(M) Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, has again landed in trouble with his party and Leftist compatriots, this time for having said he is opposed to the culture of strikes and bandhs. Speaking at an Assocham function in Kolkata Tuesday, Mr Bhattacharjee had said: “It’s unfortunate that the party I belong to supports strikes.” The CPI(M) is expected to seek an explanation from him on what it perceives as “anti-party” remarks.

The CPI(M) state secretary and Left Front chairman, Mr Biman Bose, distancing himself from the Chief Minister’s remarks, said on Wednesday: “This is not the party’s stand.” Mr Bhattacharjee’s candid remarks have sent shockwaves in Left circles across the country. Fellow CPI(M) leaders and Left trade union bosses are up in arms at such un-comrade-like behaviour, which they consider akin to an attack on the “constitutional rights of workers.” Mr Bhattacharjee had said: “I do not support any bandh, but at the same time I am a member of a political party. So long I have kept mum. But now I will speak out.”

The CPI(M) politburo member, Mr Hannan Mollah, speaking to this newspaper, said that “no party which claims to be Left can oppose the workers’ right to strike.”  Mr Bhattacharjee said he had opposed the nationwide bandh call by Left trade unions on August 20.