Aiyar lambastes Mamata for 'ditching' Muslims

Asserting that there is a need for unity of secular forces to counter the alliance between Narendra Modi and Mamata Banerjee, senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar today lashed out at Banerjee for "ditching Muslims" by going along with Modi at the Centre.
"We will request you to understand your power. Your power of one vote which can make or break governments. Why will you vote for TMC and Mamata Banerjee? They have not worked for your development. Rather Mamata Banerjee have ditched you (Muslims)," Aiyar said, while addressing a programme of the Pradesh Congress Committee's Minority cell here.
"Before the elections (Lok Sabha) she had said that she won't go with Modi. But after you voted for her, she took a complete U-turn and joined hands with Modi. So will you vote for such a person?" Aiyar said.

The leader told reporters on the sidelines of the programme that it was for the party high command to take the call on any alliance between the Congress and the Left in the state.
"What we have to do is defeat the TMC and whatever is necessary the party high command will do. I am not in charge of the state, nor do I belong to the state. So don't expect a specific answer from me. Decision will be taken by the party high command," Aiyar said, when asked if there was any chance of forging an alliance with the Left in Bengal in the next Assembly polls.

However, senior Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed said that there has been no such proposal under consideration.
"Congress leaders from Bengal and the general secretary in charge of the state will be in a much better position to answer it. However, according to my knowledge there has been no such proposal," Ahmed said.
State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury accused the Mamata government of indulging in appeasement politics for the sake of establishing vote bank.