M A I N   N E W S

Mamata serves three-day ultimatum
Our Correspondent

Kolkata, July 21
Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee today served a three-day ultimatum on the Vajpayee government for withdrawing the decision on railway bifurcation. Otherwise, the party would launch a nationwide 72-hour bandh, she declared.

She said she would invite all like-minded forces to join hands with them in thwarting the conspiracy by some vested interests to destabilise and disintegrate the country through the bifurcation move in the name of streamlining the railway administration.

Ms Banerjee, who returned last night from New Delhi apparently disappointed, today virtually declared the ‘waging of war’ against the NDA government for not being able to solve the bifurcation issue of Eastern Railway. She had over-stayed in the capital till late last evening only to meet Mr Vajpayee to seek his intervention in the matter, but there was no call from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Ms Banerjee was addressing a massive rally organised by her party to observe the martyrs’ day in memory of 13 Youth Congress workers killed in police firing on this day in 1993. Despite torrential rain a large gathering, mostly TMC workers and supporters, waited for hours together to hear from their leader about the party’s future plans and the programme of agitation.

Ms Banerjee, in her address, however, said they would not leave the NDA, but fight against the “wrong doings” of the government from within. She said she still had faith and respect for Mr Vajpayee and hoped that he would take appropriate steps in resisting the conspiracy by Mr Nitish Kumar and some other vested interests.