PM assures aid to West Bengal; Didi backtracks

A day after West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee launched a no holds barred attack on the Prime Minister, an undeterred Manmohan Singh assured all support for the development of West Bengal.

A day after West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee launched a no holds barred attack on the Prime Minister, an undeterred Manmohan Singh assured all support for the development of West Bengal.

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Senior Bengal Congress leader Manas Bhuiyan met Singh on Tuesday at a pre-scheduled appointment where discussions also veered on the health of the Bengal economy. “PM categorically told me to go and tell people that the centre is committed towards development and progress of Bengal.”

After widespread criticism of her remarks that she wanted to beat up the PM, Banerjee today backtracked and blamed the media for doctoring her remarks.

“What I said is that ‘I had have met the PM 10 times on the issue of fertiliser price hike. I cannot do more than this. Shall I go and beat (him up)?’ A section of media is saying I have said I will beat PM, this is totally distorted,” she said.

Bhuiyan slammed Banerjee for her government’s decision to promote chit funds in the state which had adversely impacted small savings, thereby reducing its borrowing capacity.