The tussle within the Congress over the controversy in West Bengal’s Singur — where the opposition Trinamool Congress has laid siege to the Tata Motors’ small car plant — today came out in the open.
Information and Broadcasting Priyaranjan Dasmunsi, reacting to Commerce Minister Kamal Nath’s recent remark that the Centre would play a role in resolving the deadlock, said, “Kamal Nath has no business in Singur.”
Nath had said also said that Tata Motors was not a party to the dispute which, he claimed, was between the government of West Bengal and a political party (Trinamool Congress).
Dasmunsi, who was recently made the president of the West Bengal unit of the Congress, said, “The WBPCC (West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee) is there to look after the Singur issue. Nobody has asked for his interference.”
But Nath seemed unaware of Dasmunsi’s comments and raised the issue even today. Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting here, he said, “It’s my wish that Nano stays in West Bengal. But if the project moves out of West Bengal, it should come to my state. The final decision rests with the Tatas. ” He added if “any of the parties needed the Centre’s help, we would be happy to help in this regard.”
Congress circles see this as a manifestation of the conflict within the party over its line on Banerjee. The party continues to firmly support industrialisation but at the same time wants to ally with Banerjee for the coming Lok Sabha polls. The state unit, on its part, feels that statements from central ministers will further irk Banerjee. For Banerjee, Singur has become the most important issue and any false step by the Congress may send her wrong signals, state leaders feel.
