Rajnath, Bengal's 'non-state actor'

The names of Singur and Nandigram are often spoken of in the same breath since both are linked to the Mamata Banerjee-led movement, that catapulted her to power in West Bengal. So, it is no surprise that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Rajnath Singh wants to claim a closer association to the movement in this election season. But in doing so during the party's rally in Kolkata, Singh confused Singur, where the abortive Tata Nano factory was located, with Nandigram, once a proposed zone for a chemical hub. Recalling his visit to the trouble spot, he robustly declared that his party stands by Banerjee's demand for returning forcibly acquired land in Nandigram. The trouble is, land acquisition never took place in Nandigram, the previous state government having been forced to call off the chemical hub project following Banerjee's protests; it is in Singur where the controversy lies. True, the distinction may be confusing for an outsider to the state but surely, being president of a party that aspires to make inroads in Bengal, the BJP leader should have done more homework.