CPM, Majlis spar in Andhra House

Statesman News Service. 20 November

HYDERABAD, Nov. 19: The CPI-M and Majlis Ittehadul Musilmeen today sparred in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly over continuing violence in Nandigram. The Majlis promised that it would soon enter West Bengal to win over Muslims.

MIM floor leader Mr Akbaruddin Owaisi, during a discussion on minorities’ welfare, said the West Bengal government was talking in Gujarat chief minister Mr Narendra Modi’s language. He was referring to West Bengal chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, saying the victims at Nandigram were paid back in their own coin.
CPI-M floor leader Mr N Narasimiah bristled and said the MIM was a party confined to only the Old City.

“They have no right to criticise Marxists and Communists. We don’t need to take lessons from you,” he said. Countering this, Mr Owaisi said they have a presence across Andhra Pradesh and had contested a few constituencies in West Bengal as well. “Mr Bhattacharjee is justifying the killings and talking like Mr Modi,” he said.

Mr Narasimiah shot back: “How can you compare Mr Bhattacharjee with Mr Modi? Nandigram is different. Maoists have infiltrated the place and the violence was started by them. This is happening despite the West Bengal government stating four months ago that it would not acquire land at Nandigram for the special economic zone. We are at the forefront of protecting secularism,” he said.

Mr Owaisi accused the CPI-M of double standards, by taking away farmers’ lands in West Bengal and demanding lands for farmers in states like Andhra Pradesh. “Soon, we will go to West Bengal and win the hearts of Muslims there," he said.