Yechury has a dictionary for Delhi, another for Kolkata

NEW DELHI: Sitaram Yechury, who cut his political teeth in JNU three decades ago raising slogans such as “Tata Birla ki yeh sarkar, nahin chalegi, nahin chalegi” (this government that belongs to the Tatas and the Birlas will not be allowed to function) was on Monday the chief defender of the Tatas’ investment in the Left Front-ruled West Bengal.

Mr Yechury, the leader of the obstructionists at the UPA’s policy high-table, also tried to don the garb of the real reformer. The CPM Polit bureau member, a regular at the labour conferences of the Leftists that routinely complain against high-handedness of the state machinery, also justified police action against protesters at Singur.

Addressing a press conference to defend the stand of the CPM-led government in the state, Mr Yechury relied on the conspiracy theory that the Left normally uses while dealing with political opponents and inconvenient voices: The protesters came armed with bombs and a premeditated plan to unleash violence in Singur.

He went to the extent of sensing a corporate angle to the protest when he hinted that rival business houses could be behind the agitation.

The CPM leader’s next step was to project his party’s government in West Bengal as the most reform-oriented. He charged all those opposing the Singur investment with attempting to derail the reform process.

When asked why the party was opposing Manmohan Singh’s policy agenda, came the non-chalant reply: “The party is opposed to all decisions that go against public interest.” Implicit in this was an arrogant assumption that the Left alone has the moral right to define what constitutes public interest.

But the CPM found fingers pointed at it in the Rajya Sabha for being ‘anti-farmer’, a term the Left frequently uses against the Congress and the BJP. After facing the music in the Upper House, Mr Yechury sang paeans to the Bengal government and portrayed Singur as the ideal model for development.

“We are giving the people affected compensation and skills... There has been no forcible eviction. People are standing in queues and taking the cheques. People are happy,” he said.

Incidentally, the CPM mocks at similar arguments when it comes from Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Rajasthan’s Vasundhara Raje. For Mr Yechury, the chief ministers of states ruled by other parties are ‘land grabbers’, while the West Bengal chief minister was the genuine protector of farmers’ interests.

Then, there was also the usual charge of double-speak against political rivals. “The Congress double-speak has become obvious. The Congress has been saying the CPM is blocking the reform process. Where reform is taking place, they are opposing it,” he said.