Kolkata:
In what has sparked off a fresh political storm in West Bengal, the Maoists have openly backed Trinamool Congress chief and Union Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee's proposed rally on the August 9 in the state's Maoist heartland Lalgarh.
Top Maoist leader Kishenji has told PTI that he will fully support the rally. This came soon after the Peoples' Committee against Police Atrocities or the PCPA, seen as a front organisation of the Maoists, announced that it will join the rally.
In his statement to PTI, Kishenji said, "The Maoists will extend full support to the rally (on August 9 at Lalgarh in West Midnapore district). The people of Jungle Mahal will protect all those who join the rally."
"This is an apolitical rally under the banner of Santrash Birodhi Mancha (Anti-Terror Platform) and we will fully co-operate to see that it is successful," the elusive leader said.
He said the Maoists are supporting the rally because social activists like Swami Agnivesh, Medha Patkar and intellectuals like Bibhash Chakkaraborty "who had stood by the people's movement" would be attending it.
"The people of Lalgarh have always stood against the atrocities by the police and violence," he said.
He alleged that the police and the CPM were conspiring and scaring people against joining the rally.
"Don't trust the police because they will be working for the CPM government. The people of the area will protect you."
Meanwhile, Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee slammed his arch rival for associating with the Maoists and going to any lengths to dislodge the Left from power.
Jhargram CPM MP Pulin Behari Bakse has asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to dissuade Mamata saying the rally would only encourage PCPA at a time when locals are rebelling against it.
Not many months back, while campaigning for polls, Mamata Banerjee had slammed the Left saying Marxists and Maoists were the two sides of the same coin. "Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has a double face. Both the CPM and Maoists are two sides of the same coin and are unleashing terror. If the Maoists are banned, why not the CPM? There is no difference between Maoists and Marxists," she had stated. (With PTI Inputs)