Mamata hits out at Modi govt over CCD founder's death

Terming as unfortunate the death of Cafe Coffee Day founder V G Siddhartha, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday he was depressed due to harassment by 'different agencies', and claimed captains of industry were under 'pressure' and contemplating shifting abroad.

She also alleged an atmosphere prevailed where opposition parties were also afraid of 'horsetrading, harassment and political vendetta'.

'I am deeply shocked by the incident relating to V G Siddhartha, Coffee Cafe Day founder. It is indeed very sad and very unfortunate.

'From what he has expressed (in his letter), it appears that he was greatly depressed due to harassment and pressure from different agencies because of which he could not run his business in a peaceful manner,' Banerjee wrote on her Facebook wall.

The Trinamool Congress supremo also excoriated the Centre for its decision to divest its shares in public sector undertakings at a time of economic slowdown and rise in unemployment.

"I hear from different sources that captains of industry are under pressure. Some of them have left the country and some are contemplating to move out. All opposition political parties are afraid of horse trading and harassment and political vendetta," she alleged while extending her condolences to the bereaved family of the entrepreneur.

The West Bengal leader said the common man was the worst hit by the economic slowdown.

She said the future of the country lay in a thriving industry and a robust agriculture that would create jobs.

'If industry is demoralised, there will be no economic and employment growth. As a result, more and more people will become jobless,' she added.

She said she would appeal to the government to work 'peacefully' so that 'people are confident that there will be no political vendetta and that (its) agencies will not destroy the future of the country'.

Siddhartha, the son-in-law of Karnataka's former chief minister S M Krishna, is suspected to have committed suicide by jumping into Netravathi river on July 29 and his body was recovered on Wednesday.

He purportedly wrote a farewell letter to the Board of Directors and employees of his company Coffee Day Enterprises where he alleged harassment by lenders and tax authorities.