Trinamool threatens to sue Ratan Tata

West Bengal's main opposition Trinamool has been protesting the state government's acquisition of farmland at Singur.

The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday threatened to sue Tata group chairman Ratan Tata unless he withdrew his comments in a TV interview terming the protest against a Tata Motors project as one fuelled by his competitors.

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"Ratan Tata must withdraw his comment within seven days, otherwise we will file a defamation suit against him or move a privilege motion in the assembly," Trinamool Congress legislator Partha Chatterjee said.

West Bengal's main opposition Trinamool has been protesting the state government's acquisition of farmland at Singur near this state capital for the small car project of the Tata firm.

Chatterjee said the party was exploring the avenues to move a privilege motion against Tata in the state assembly since his comment cast an aspersion on the Trinamool Congress.

Tata in a recent interview to NDTV news channel blamed his competitors for "fuelling" the fire in the controversy over the project to manufacture cars to be priced at Rs.100,000, even as he resolved not to pull out of the state.

"Let me just say it is not just political, because I happen to know that some of our competitors are also fuelling some of this fire and they would be very happy if the project got delayed," he said in the interview.

With party chief Mamata Banerjee recuperating in a nursing home after her 25-day hunger strike, the Trinamool Congress legislators met during the day to chalk out future strategies on the Singur issue and also burnt an effigy of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya.

Tata Motors' car project is mired in controversy over acquisition of fertile agricultural land and forcible eviction of farmers.