Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s plan to rope in the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the all-party meeting to be held at Writers’ Building tomorrow fell through as the TMC today refused to join the meeting, saying it was an “eyewash”.

The ruling Left Front convened the meeting to discuss industrialisation process in the state, especially the Singur issue, in view of the opposition parties TMC and Congress’ strident criticism of the state government that it was acquiring fertile agricultural land to set up industries.

The TMC had demanded that the CM should apologise for police lathi-charge on party supporters at Singur on September 26, and cases should be withdrawn against those supporters who were arrested on that day.

To appease the opposition party, Bhattacharjee had said police action at Singur was undesirable and there was scope for discussion on withdrawing cases against the Trinamool supporters, but Trinamool today said the government was “hoodwinking” people on the issue.

“The government called the all-party meeting after it acquired the land and everything had been finalised. The meeting is a complete eyewash,” Trinamool leader and former Union Minister Ajit Panja said. The TMC today demanded a CBI inquiry into the police lathi-charge on party supporters.

Party chief Mamata Banerjee, who led the agitation and sat in a dharna at Singur on September 26 and later in Kolkata, was admitted to hospital after she complained of breathlessness and chest pain.

Meanwhile, the Left Front today held a meeting and endorsed the government’s stand on industrialisation in the state. It also exhorted the Trinamool Congress to withdraw the October 9 bandh call.

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