Kolkata, Sep 16 (IANS) Congress leader Subrata Mukherjee Tuesday shared the dais with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee at a meeting in Singur and urged people to join the protest against the Left Front government in West Bengal.
'No one invited me to attend the meeting. I've come on my own as I felt the need to join the mass protest (against the Tata Motors Nano project),' Mukherjee said.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led Left Front government has 'violated the terms and conditions of the agreement' signed between the state government and the Trinamool Congress on returning part of the project's land to farmers, he said. 'The time has come when we all should join the movement against the CPI-M in West Bengal.'
'I've not come here to bargain for any MP's or MLA's seat in the next election. I've come responding to the people's call,' Mukherjee added.
His participation in the Trinamool Congress meeting has triggered a debate in West Bengal's political arena.
Reacting to the move, state Congress president Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi said: 'Whoever wants to leave our party may do so. It won't affect us.'
'We don't want to comment on the issue at this moment. We will have a meeting in our party over Singur and discuss the government's package for the farmers,' Dasmunsi added.
Mukherjee had earlier left the Congress and joined the Trinamool Congress, becoming the Kolkata mayor on its ticket in 2000.
After completing his five year tenure, he left the Trinamool and formed an independent platform to contest the 2005 civic body poll. He then returned to the Congress.
