Amid TMC-announced protests over the recent inauguration of the Sealdah Metro station, the CPM state secretary Md Salim alleged that Mamata Banerjee had zero role to play as former railways minister in the East-West Metro project since she always opposed it.

He alleged that the state government is now planning to sell off the Curzon Park land to private companies as part of a real estate business deal.

Ever since the Sealdah Metro station inauguration, TMC MLA Madan Mitra announced agitations outside Metro stations, alleging that the chief minister was insulted by Metro authorities despite her supposedly ‘pivotal role’ in the E-W Metro project. The CPM leader, Md Salim said false claims are being circulated by TMC.

Decoding the matter, Mr Salim claimed that the E-W Metro was not a railways project and was under the Union urban development ministry. “The railways had refused such a project. Hence, it was implemented by the urban development ministry, based on the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) model. This explains the inception of Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC), which implemented the E-W project. I was then chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on urban development and the East-West project was on the list of other projects to be implemented in Kolkata.”

“Mamata Banerjee, as the then railways minister had threatened that not an inch of land in Sealdah will be handed over for the Metro station. The project objective was to decongest central Kolkata by transferring the massive road traffic to the underground by linking the Howrah and Sealdah railway stations via Metro route, with lines passing through the Mahatma Gandhi Road but Mamata refused,” Salim said.

He alleged that she did exactly the opposite due to her lack of understanding of urban planning. “Due to her plan of instead linking Esplanade with Sealdah, houses collapsed in Bowbazar, people became homeless, and Central Kolkata will remain congested.”

He further alleged that Miss Banerjee’s plan to link Esplanade is now becoming apparent as the state government now plans to sell off Curzon Park to pave the way for a real estate project. “Private companies are being consulted. Trams are being obliterated to remove the tram depot to make space. CPM has opposed the plan since the park (also known as Surendranath Banerjee Park) is historically involved with India’s independence struggle.”

He also announced that a state-wide protest would be held from next week, demanding justice for Anis Khan who was “murdered by the police”.