“We have chosen Nandigram as the venue for the rally as it was the most appropriate place to begin with. The public agitation launched by the people here had forced the state government to rethink its plan of setting up an SEZ in that area,” said Bloc General Secretary Ashok Ghosh.

Indirectly accusing the CPM of deviating from the Left agenda, Ghosh said, “Originally, the Left Front was not constituted for the growth of capitalism.” He urged all Front allies to rectify their mistakes and not deviate from the Left programme. “If our demands are not met, we will launch a statewide agitation in January and February,” he added.

Meanwhile, two leaders of the Trinamool Congress-backed Bhumi Uchched Pratirodh Committee (BUPC) had approached the Bloc for donations for its relief fund for Nandigram victims. To this, Ghosh said: “There is no question of involving anybody for relief work in Nandigram. We are quite aware of the ground situation and are capable of directly addressing the concerns of the people there.”