Statement on Marxists was distorted, says minister Mallick

After his controversial prescription of social boycott of Communist Party of India (Marxist) for Trinamool Congress workers, West Bengal minister Jyotipriya Mallick on Tuesday claimed that his statement was 'distorted', but admitted that he 'hated' the Marxists.

"My statement was distorted. I did not speak about social boycott of the CPI(M), nor did I say there could be no marriages with persons belonging to that party," Mallick, a senior Trinamool Congress leader, said.

"But I did ask our partymen not to gossip with CPI(M) workers in tea stalls and markets and not to attend any ceremony if invited by them," Mullick, the Food and Civil Supplies minister said.

He, however, reiterated that he had asked party workers not to interact with the CPI(M) otherwise they would not be able to take on the Marxists.

"I have earlier said that I hate the CPI(M) and I still say this," he said.

Mallick who is from Monteswar in Burdwan district, said that he could not return home since the '80s because of threat from the CPI(M).

"I could go home only after we came to power last year. Our cultivable land is still under occupation by two CPIM cadres.

"It was the CPI(M) which terrorised common people, not to speak of opposition party workers," he alleged.

Congress, the ally of Trinamool Congress, however, disapproved Mallick's utterances.

"It will only lead to acrimony and bitterness and create an atmosphere of conflict," WBPCC General Secretary Omprakash Mishra said.

He said in the eighties the CPI(M) had enforced social boycott, which should not be repeated and hoped that the minister would withdraw his statement.

Another state Congress leader Abdul Mannan dubbed the minister's statement as 'childish'

"If I go to the hospital and find someone there belongs to the CPI(M), shall I come away?" Mannan, the chairman of state Congress media cell, asked and said "it is our misfortune that they are our ministers."

CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakrabarty said that the people were laughing at the minister's statement. "The minister asked his partymen to hate and boycott the CPI(M) which is against our culture," Chakrabarty, a former MP said.

Mallick told partymen at Habra in North 24 Parganas on Sunday not to socialise with the CPI-M, not to talk to them or marry their cadre and that Marxists should be hated.