West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday claimed that CPI(M) is responsible for the exit of the Tata Nano factory from Bengal.

She further said that the CPI(M) government was in power and wanted to acquire land forcibly from farmers for the Tata Motors’ Nano factory in Singur. Only the lands were returned to the people who did not want to give during her government. 

It is worth noting that after a massive movement against the Tata Nano plant in Singur, Mamata Banerjee had overthrown the left-wing parties in the state election and came into power as chief minister.

Addressing a meeting namely ‘Bijaya Samillani’ held after Durga Puja, she said, “Many are saying I drove away Tata and now they are providing jobs. It was not me but the CPIM who forced Tata to leave the state. CPI(M) wanted to take the land by force. Our government returned those lands to the unwilling farmers.”

She further added, “It was you who forcibly took land from the people for the project. There is no shortage of land. Then Why take land by force? We have done so many projects. We have not taken land by force anywhere. We don’t discriminate against any industrialists. As many industrialists as we have here, everyone should invest in Bengal and create job opportunities in Bengal.”

The Bengal CM also said that she has taken many steps to attract investments to the state after which West Bengal became the destination of tourism. Bengal needs to be on top of the world. Eventually, bring many hotels and ITI, and polytechnic colleges here, creating training and job opportunities for the people of the state. 

CPI(M)’s central committee member Sujan Chakraborty promptly hit back at Banerjee.

As reported by ABP Bangla, he said, “It is a blatant lie. Mamata Banerjee doesn’t really want to listen. It’s uncomfortable, Durgapur Expressway was closed so that Tata could not build a factory in Singur.” 

 Singur is known for multiple-crop farming. In 2006, Left parties formed government for the 7th time in Bengal, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee being the state’s chief minister. After the party came into power Tata Motors announced the setting up of the Nano factory at Singur.

As soon as the project was announced the Trinamool Congress (TMC),  under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee started a statewide movement against the project. They alleged the left government in power, for forceful land acquisition. The CPI(M)-led Left Front government had acquired around 1,000 acres of farmland for the project,

Eventually, in October 2008, Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata moved out of the state and announced Gujarat’s Sanand as a new destination for the Tata Nano factory. 

While shifting the project, Ratan Tata, the then-head of the Tata empire, blamed Mamata Banerjee for creating agitation against the group. 

In 2011, Mamata Banerjee came into power in the dethroning Left-wing lead government after 34 years.

In 2016, the Supreme Court gave its verdict against the acquisition and termed it as illegal and void.