They have not been on the best of terms over the Singur protests. But after the AMRI Hospital fire tragedy, Tata Group boss Ratan Tata has words of praise for Mamata Banerjee, and the West Bengal chief minister says she is obliged.
"Thanks. If anybody has liked it (our response to the disaster), we are obliged," Banerjee said in an interview to a Bengali television channel.
This followed a tweet by Tata on Sunday, commending Banerjee's "swift and firm action" after the Dec 9 pre-dawn blaze in the hospital that claimed 93 lives.
This comes even as Tata Motors is locked in a court case with the West Bengal government over a legislation framed by the Mamata Banerjee government to return to farmers the land acquired in Singur for the now abandoned plant that was originally slated to roll out the small car Nano.