At a mass meeting organised by the Bloc in memory of the five “martyrs” killed on February 5 last year, state secretary Ashok Ghosh and ministers Rabindra Ghosh and Naren Dey were also present.

“I do not know at whose instructions the police had opened fire at Dinhata. But five innocent villagers losing their lives for voicing their legitimate demands was an unfortunate incident. Records show that in West Bengal, villagers have got only 20 days of work. Netaji, who had formed the party, had taught us not to compromise against injustice and we will not tolerate any negligence and irresponsibility over jobs for villagers. The Dinhata incident was a major departure from what the Left Front allies had decided when they came to power in 1977,” Dey said at the meeting.

The Bloc leadership vowed to continue their struggle against injustice and failures of the state government. Forward Bloc state secretariat member Aparajita Goppi said the government had betrayed them.