Calcutta, May 26: Mamata Banerjee today asked Jyoti Basu to persuade his party and the government to return 400 acres allegedly acquired forcibly for the Tata Motors plant in Singur.

“Instead of asking me to give up my demand, Jyoti Basu should persuade his party and the government to return the 400 acres to those who had not consented the land acquisition. Those 400 acres were acquired by using bulldozers, clamping prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC and employing CPM goons,” she told a news conference at her house here.

Basu had dismissed Mamata’s demand yesterday. “I don’t know how it would be possible. If the land is returned, how will the factory be built?” he said. “If they (Trinamul) want to stop the construction of the factory by sabotage, the people of the state and the country will realise they don’t progress.”

An angry Mamata retorted today. “Progress does not mean that the government will grab fertile land from poor farmers in the name of industry. Farmers cannot be the victims of the CPM’s arrogance and egotism.”

Mamata said the people of Singur had given their verdict through ballot: that they did not believe in the CPM’s “slogan of progress”.

“We are asking CPM to rectify its mistake by returning the land. There is no harm if the party admits its mistake after the poll debacle.”

A day after appealing for restraint in Singur, Mamata threatened to “step up the movement” against the Tata project. Asked about the appeal, she said: “I had requested the Tatas with folded hands to return the land. If they don’t listen, they will have to pay a heavy price.”

The Trinamul Congress chief welcomed the BJP’s victory in Karnataka and said: “It is unfortunate that no change in government has taken place in Bengal in over 30 years.”