West Bengal minister Amit Mitra (left) and industrialist Ratan Tata
today reacted sharply to West Bengal Minister
Amit Mitra's comment that he appears to have "lost his mind", in response to his apparent critique of industrial development in the state. (
Ratan Tata Has 'Lost His Mind', Says Bengal Minister Amit Mitra, Stung by Criticism)
In a statement, Mr Tata called Dr Mitra's anger needless and surprising.
"Mr Mitra might believe I have lost my mind. I would be delighted if he could show me what industrial development projects I missed while driving through Rajarhat. If he cannot, then I would have to conclude that he has a very fertile imagination," said the 73-year-old Chairman Emeritus of the Tata Group. (
Ratan Tata Hits Back After Mamata Government's 'Lost His Mind' Barb)
In a swift response, Mr Mitra told NDTV, "I am truly surprised that Mr Ratan Tata was not even aware before making his comment that the area through which he was driving was strictly for residential and commercial development and therefore could not have had any industrial plants visible to him."
The
Bengal Finance Minister and former FICCI Secretary General quipped, " I would like to ask him how many industrial complexes does he see while driving from Chattrapati Shivaji International Airport to his home or office in Mumbai."
Remarks by the top industrialist on Wednesday had rattled Mr Mitra so much that he had said, "
Onar motibhrom hoyeche (Maybe he has lost his mind). Maybe he hasn't got the information."
Dr Mitra listed investments by Tata Group companies like TCS, or Tata Consultancy Services, and Tata Metalicks. "If I give you a list, it will take all day. Perhaps (Mr Tata) should concentrate on his other hobbies like flying planes," he said disparagingly, hours after Mr Tata shared his bitter experience in Singur, where a farmers' agitation backed by Mamata Banerjee forced him to shift a Tata Nano plant to Sanand in Gujarat. (
Watch)
At an interaction in Kolkata, Mr Tata said shifting the Nano plant in 2008 was a good decision and he would do it again. "If you hold a gun to my head, you can pull the trigger or take the gun away. But the head will not move," he joked, repeating the words he used when he shifted the plant.
Three years after the Singur row, Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress took power in Bengal with a massive mandate.
Asked whether he had noticed any changes since then, Mr Tata replied that while driving through a Kolkata suburb, he noticed "unbelievable change in terms of buildings and development. But it still looks like a countryside under development. We don't see that much sign of industrial development."