Some spreading canards over auditorium booking: Mamata

Kolkata: Without naming anyone, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised BJP for making a false propaganda over allotment of auditorium for their programme.

Chief Minister made the scathing attack while addressing a conference of Paschim Banga Rajya Sarkar Karmachari Federation at Nazrul Mancha on Thursday evening.

After regretting for failing to book Netaji Indoor Stadium as there was a huge turnout in Thursday's conference at a comparatively smaller Nazrul Mancha and people had to sit on the floor, Banerjee said: "Nowadays, some create an issue over allotment or booking of auditoria. They purposely approach to book an auditorium on a day when it is already booked by somebody else. Suppressing the real fact, such people start creating issues andspread canards saying that the auditorium was not allotted to them purposely."

She maintained: "They claim that being afraid of them, the state government didn't allot auditoria. I would like to ask that who are they that we have to being afraid of them. We are not afraid to fight even in front of guns then why should we get afraid of such people?" she raised asked amid cheers adding that there are some national channels that hold "fake shows" in the name of "talk shows".

"Not all but some (channels) are doing whatever they like (without verifying the facts) with direct sponsorship from the Centre. They are also being funded by RAW and Reddy. But they never discuss on the development taking place in Bengal," she said.

In connection with Thursday's progarmme, she said: "I would like to regret as the place is not adequate enough to organise such a major programme. We had tried to organise the same in Netaji Indoor Stadium. But it was already booked for some other purpose. I maintain some ethics so I cannot cancel someone's programme forcefully."

"I haven't got Netaji Indoor Stadium for our own programme as it was booked from beforehand on the day. I would have easily taken the Indoor Stadium but why should I violate law?" she said.

"In case an auditorium is booked for a programme that would continue for four days then how can I ask them to give the auditorium for a day in between? Moreover, many events including different indoor sports, seminars, cultural programmes, etc take place in Netaji Indoor Stadium,"she said.