We hold festivals for people, not Cuba or North Korea: Mamata

Kolkata: Countering criticism that her debt-strapped government was squandering funds by organising fairs and festivals, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday hit back at the Marxists, saying her regime will continue celebrations for people, not for North Korea or Cuba.

"If it's meant to be a festival, then it should be a people's festival. Instead of having (North) Korea fest or Cuba fest, it should be world festival, India's festival, artists' festival, farmer's, and student's festivals," she said while inaugurating the Yatra (folk theatre) festival.

Banerjee's barb at the Communist Party of India-Marxist-led Left Front by highlighting its fondness for the two communist nations follows gthe Marxists' stringent criticism about the large number of festivals and fairs organised in the state by her government since coming to office.

Buddhadeb recently ripped apart the Mamata dispensation for \"only keeping itself busy with festivals and fairs, by neglecting development\".

Senior CPI-M leader and former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee recently ripped apart the Banerjee dispensation for "only keeping itself busy with festivals and fairs, by neglecting industrialsation and development".

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