Mamata warns to take her debt battle to Delhi streets

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday threatened to hit the streets of Delhi to push her demand of a three-year moratorium on the interests paid by her debt-ridden government.

Without outlining when she would do so, Mamata told a rally in West Midnapore: "The amount of interest for the loans borrowed by the previous Left Front government is increasing rapidly. If the interest is not waived off or moratorium on interest payment is not given, we will take the agitation to Delhi. I do not want to do this right now. I will wait for some more time."

Invoking Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, she said: "Netaji had taught us that if our rights are not given, they must be snatched. So we will not seat idle. We will snatch our demand," she added.

"The Centre has taken away our right to take loans. But allowed the previous Left Front government to rampantly borrow and build up a debt burden. The state wants its dues," she said. The state has a debt burden of over

Rs 2 lakh crore.

She said her government is facing difficulty in carrying out development works because of the paucity of funds. "We are paying more than what we earn. The Reserve Bank of India deducts hefty amount from our exchequer for loan borrowed by the Left Front government. We are paying the price for fiscal indiscipline

of the Left regime. West

Bengal cannot be neglected any more. If the legitimate due of the state is not given, we will not keep our mouth shut," she said.

Two days ago, she raised the issue indirectly with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Science Congress saying, "Look at Bengal".

CPM losing patience: CM

Without naming the CPM and the Maoists, Mamata Banerjee alleged that "some forces" were trying to shatter peace which she had restored in Bengal. "They (the CPM) are losing patience and trying to come back to power. They are jealous. They have earned and ate much. Now they can take rest," she said. She said not a single person was killed in Junglemahal which was once the heartland of the Maoists.

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