Mamata Banerjee 'fascist and intolerant': CPI(M)

NEW DELHI: CPI(M) today castigated West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly targeting a book by a senior IPS officer on the plight of Muslims in the state, charging it reflected her "fascist" and "intolerant" attitude.

"Such a move reflects her fascistic attitude, an attitude of total intolerance. It is an anti-thesis of our democratic values," senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury alleged here.

He alleged Banerjee had on several occasions earlier "shown such intolerance and taken blanket action and getting arrested a professor for onpassing a cartoon or a poor peasant for asking a question on fertiliser shortage, by branding them as Maoists."

Yechury also said "we understand that the writer (whose book was banned) is her sympathiser."

In the latest instance, the Mamata Banerjee-led government has banned IPS officer Nazrul Islam's book, titled 'Musalmander Ki Karaniya (What Muslims Should Do)' in which he has highlighted the plight of Muslims in West Bengal and discusses how to improve their lot.

The book has been brought out by a noted Kolkata-based publisher whose office premises, sales counter and godown were raided by the Enforcement Branch of Kolkata Police, a charge denied by Kolkata police.

When Banerjee was the Railway Minister, Islam was an official of the Railways in charge of safety. After Trinamool Congress came to power in the state, Islam was made Additional Director General (Training) of West Bengal Police, a post he now holds.