With reference to Aditi Phadnis’s “Can Mamata Banerjee unite the opposition?” (November 19), there can’t be two views that Mamata Banerjee has been able to carve out a niche for herself in the hearts and minds of the people of West Bengal, though at a huge political cost to the out of sync communist ideology. Her electoral victory this year also bore testimony to her growing popularity there. But, the fact remains that she has miserably failed to bring the entire Opposition under one banner on the issue of the “inconvenience” being caused to people post-demonetisation. She could still muster the support of Shiv Sena, Aam Aadmi Party and National Conference only when she went to apprise President Pranab Mukherjee to apprise him of the pain of the common man due to the faulty implementation of the government policy of scrapping old notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denominations.
It was pleasing to see Omar Abdullah back on national television, joining hands with Banerjee on an issue which perhaps did not cause serious problems in his home state. It may also be pertinent to point out that he did not utter a word when Jammu and Kashmir was under deep reactionary turmoil and youths were hurling stones at security forces at the behest of separatists under the influence of the All Party Hurriyat Conference. Was he indirectly supporting troublemakers?
Banerjee’s dubious political past, as highlighted by the author, makes it difficult for her to be able to lead the political fraternity in the Opposition camp on the controversial issue of demonetisation. Even a phone call by her to Sitaram Yechury of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) cut no ice. Her joint rally with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in the national capital also failed to gain any political mileage. It’s ironical that both of them — firm believers in provocation — continue to behave like street fighters even after occupying high constitutional positions. Also, it was strange to witness Banerjee’s Trinamul Congress party raising its voice outside Parliament instead of taking the government head on.
Vinayak G, Bengaluru
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