Trinamool Congress leader speaks out despite party gag

Defying the party's directive to its leaders not to vent their misgivings in public, a Trinamool Congress leader on Thursday spoke out against the party's MLA and MP from here alleging lack of development of the backward area and said BJP was gaining ground due to it.

"There has been no development of SC/ST people, though MLA, MP and the panchayats are being represented by us," Ankur Bauri, TMC President of Raghunathpur-I Block in Purulia district told a rally here.

"The TMC leadership had asked the people here to gift Purulia and promised a flood of development activities for this backward region, which was neglected by the previous Left Front regime. But nothing has happened," Bauri said.

"Making this lack of development of the backward people an issue, BJP is fast gaining ground here," he claimed. "After getting elected, the MP and the MLA forgot about the people here," he said.

Referring to a Bengali proverb, Bauri said "after going to Lanka, everybody becomes Ravana (after getting the seat of power, everybody becomes the same). These (the TMC leaders) are no different."