NEW DELHI: Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat on Thursday supported the CBI inquiry into the Nandigram incident but said the incident should be seen in the right perspective.

Talking to presspersons here, Ms. Karat who is also a Rajya Sabha member, said that while "no Government — definitely not ours [CPI-M] — would like a situation like this one," the administration could not allow any area to be declared an ``independent'' zone.

"No choice"

``For two and a half months, the administration could not function at Nandigram and then the Government decided that this could not go on. When the workers went there to lay roads and build bridges, they were attacked. The Government had no choice but to resort to police action,'' she explained.

Describing the incident as ``unfortunate and regrettable,'' Ms. Karat added that the police action was not a fall-out of land acquisition. She, however, refused to comment on the remarks made by the West Bengal Governor on the incident saying that he held a Constitutional position.

Pointing out that the CPI (M) wanted the facts to come out through an inquiry, Ms. Karat said West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had already intended to announce a judicial probe into the incident before the Calcutta High Court ordered a CBI inquiry. ``There is no ambiguity about it and we have no problem with any enquiry,'' she said.

Jharkhand issue

Earlier addressing the media, Ms. Karat said that she, along with tribal leaders from Jharkhand, met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday to protest against the proposed move to reduce the Assembly seats earmarked for the Scheduled Tribes from 28 to 21, and reduction of the Fifth Schedule Area through a Presidential Order passed in 2003 that had infringed upon the rights of the tribal population.

Dr. Singh reportedly told the delegation that a committee had been formed to look into the legislative matters pertaining to the issues and a report was expected shortly. He assured them that efforts were being made to protect the tribal constituencies.

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