Mamata threatens 'Cholo Lal Qila' agitation if no moratorium

Kolkata: Stepping up pressure on the UPA government on her demand for a three year moratorium on paying interests on central loans, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday threatened to lead a march to Delhi's Lal Qila if her pleas went unheeded.

"We have not asked for the moon from the centre. The previous government (Left Front in the state) bequeathed us a huge Rs 2.03 lakh crore loan. Why should we have to pay for the sins of the previous regime?" Banerjee thundered at a party rally here.

She said they had repeatedly pleaded with the central government, met the prime minister, the then finance minister (now President Pranab Mukherjee) a number of times on this issue, but nothing positive has emerged.

Mamata stepped up pressure on the UPA government on her demand for a three year moratorium on paying interests on central loans.

"We have been waiting for it for so long as we want to work for the people. But people of the state are not going to tolerate such things for long," she said.

"If our legitimate demand is not fulfilled, then we will march to the Lal Qila," she said, and asked the UPA spearhead Congress why it had allowed he Left Front government to take so much loans.

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