Heavyweight CPIM leader Susanta Ghosh attacked both TMC and BJP in the same breath on his return to home and political bastion in West Bengal’s West Midnapore on Sunday after an exile of more than nine years.
Convicted in the infamous ‘Benachpara skeleton case’ in 2011 following the change of power in West Bengal, Ghosh was denied permission by the court to enter West Midnapore despite being granted a bail in 2012.
“In the history of revolution and left movement which communist leader did not go to jail? If we turn each page of communism’s history, we will not be short of examples,” Ghosh began his rally in West Midnapore’s Chandrakona.
“I was not a criminal. The ones who committed the crime, those who encouraged the crime are today MLAs and state-level ministers of current governning party of West Bengal
“The citizens of entire Jongolmohol region is preparing to throw out the TMC governement today. The nationwide strike on November 26 showed that the answer to people’s pain is the red flag,” he said to a boisterous crowd.
Ghosh was accused of murdering seven persons. West Bengal police ran a vigorous investigation in a nine-year-old murder case after TMC became the governing party in the state in 2011.
The police had discovered seven skeletons from his ancestral home in Benachpara, Garbeta, in West Midnapore.
However, the Supreme Court revoked the conditions around his bail in November this year allowing the former cabinet minister of West Bengal to return to his home district.
Meanwhile, his party had also sidelined him after it became apparent that he was set to remain distanced from Midnapore for a while. CPIM had removed Ghosh from the party’s state committee as well.
Reports in Bengali media suggested that many veteran leaders in CPIM were of the opinion to suspend Ghosh from the party.
The biggest left party in Bengal had even issued a circular asking its members to not attend an event where Ghosh was the main speaker.
However, with the Supreme Court making him a free man and abrogating the sanctions that were imposed on him, the red party was virtually left with no option but to restore Ghosh at his usual positions.
Once a force to reckon with in the entire Jongolmohol belt, where BJP has made massive inroad now, Ghosh made his intention clear of how he would be dealing the hindutva brigade in the upcoming days.
Calling BJP a greater threat than TMC, Ghosh asked the people to be aware of not confusing the saffron party as the only alternative in West Bengal.
“This message was being conveyed that only BJP could save everyone from TMC’s atrocities. People were confused. Some still are. It’s more dangerous when people say ‘To get rid of TMC, one needs to take up BJP’s flag’. TMC is so bad that it can’t be described. But BJP is 100-1000 times more evil than TMC,” Ghosh said.
“In West Bengal, it’s a government of falsehood, while in Centre, it’s only lies. With the false promise of Acche Din, forceful implementation of demonetisation and GST, the central government has destroyed the economy. The state machinery has made arrangements to serve the families of Ambani and Adani.
“Now they are controlling the narrative and boasting that there’s no red flag in West Bengal anymore. All their anger has come up against the red flag. But in actual they fear it because red flag is the strength of people, it’s their belief,” he added.