Singur: BJP wants Centre to step in

The BJP has demanded that the Centre intervene directly to resolve the imbroglio at Singur, where land acquisition for the Tata Motor's small car plant has led Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee to go on a hunger strike.

BJP President Rajnath Singh, addressing the National Executive of the party said he was concerned about the deteriorating health of Banerjee, whose fast today entered the 19th day.

BJP spokesperson Arun Jaitley said the CPI(M) must come clean on why fertile land had been handed over to the Tatas. "The CPM government in West Bengal should hand over waste land rather than the two-crop land for SEZs," he said.

"The CPI(M), which protests the handing over of fertile land for industry in other states, should practice what it preaches," he said.

The BJP, in a report on the issue, said it favoured handing over a portion of the developed land back to the original landowners, as part of the compensation package.

"The BJP is not against the concept of SEZ but does not want fertile land to be developed into industrial zones," said Jaitley.

The party also found time to express concern over the threat of Al Qaeda attack on Congress President Sonia Gandhi. "The UPA government's sleep on the issue of tackling terror should perhaps end now since their own leader has been threatened," he said. "This is a matter that concerns everyone," he added.