Shielded from rain, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee addresses the rally in Burdwan town. Picture by Dipankar Chatterjee

Burdwan/Calcutta, Sept. 14: Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today appealed to the Opposi-tion not to be “stubborn” and ensure that work at the Tata Motors project could resume at the earliest.

“No point in being stubborn. Personal egos should not come in the way of a solution. The Opposition should accept the package and come for a discussion immediately. Work at the Tata Motors project has to begin by tomorrow,” the chief minister told a rally of the CPM’s student and youth wings in Burdwan town.

“No other government in the country can offer a better package that will help improve the quality of life of the farmers,” he said.

The chief minister called upon the Opposition to shun the warpath and help the government work out a solution through discussions so that the small-car plant became a reality. “The entire country is looking at us. We cannot go back on the project. We will have to hang our head in shame if it falls through.”

Bhattacharjee is ready to go to governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi “again” to ensure an end to the impasse.

It is immaterial whether the the Tatas or the Birlas are building the factory or whether 1 lakh or 10 lakh cars will be produced, he said. “What is of utmost importance to us is that 12,000 hands would work in the factory.”

Reacting to the chief minister’s appeal, Trinamul Congress MLA Partha Chatterjee said in Calcutta: “We are not opposed to talks with the government to resolve the issue. But the way the government today gave ads in leading dailies spending a huge amount of money to announce the rehabilitation package is unethical. This was done with a political motive to disrespect the agreement signed in front of the governor on Sunday night.”

Mamata Banerjee will “go to every house in Singur to campaign against the CPM”, he added.

The Left Front and Trinamul have lined up tit-for-tit rallies in Singur to take the battle over the project to the streets.

Top front leaders will address a rally on the Singur Club grounds at 2pm tomorrow.

Mamata is going to the town on Tuesday.

Front chairman Biman Bose today issued a statement appreciating the government’s rehabilitation package for the Singur landlosers. “The government has carried out talks with the Opposition with patience and tolerance for a long time. Now the small-car project will have to be implemented to provide jobs to the young generation and in the interest of the state,” he said.

That the front wants to take the fight to the people became apparent when Bose appealed for co-operation “to help the government move towards industrialisation keeping the interest of farmers intact”.

He also called for “peace” to ensure that the world’s cheapest car could roll out of Singur.