The Hindu : Front Page : Mamata warns Government

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Saturday, Apr 28, 2007
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Mamata warns Government

Marcus Dam

`Centre should understand the political implications'

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress leader, Mamata Banerjee, warned the State Government here on Friday against "playing with fire for which it will have to suffer the consequences" in the face of the continuing violence in Nandigram area of the State's Purbo Medinipur district.

The patience of those who are being targeted by activists of the Communist Party of India [Marxist] is being stretched and the "State Government will be solely responsible if something untoward occurs", Ms. Banerjee said. "Violence has been raging in the Nandigram area over the past three days and even on Friday there were reports of firing and hurling of bombs by the CPI (M)," she added.

"If there is a bloodbath in the area in the future, the Chief Minister will be responsible," she said.

Ridiculing Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's recent appeal to the Opposition to attend an all-party meeting to facilitate the restoration of normality in the area Ms. Banerjee said, "Such appeals are only a charade; he is talking of such meetings even as he is giving his approval to party cadres to fire on innocent people."

She repeated her charge that the State Government had been "managing" the Centre and "doing away with all the evidence of victims" of the March 14 police firing at Nandigram. "The police has been directed to assist the CPI (M) cadres in their attack on the people" and the Untied Progressive Alliance government cannot absolve its responsibilities for the developments there "just because it is receiving the support of the CPI (M)."

The situation at Nandigram was taking a communal turn with minorities under attack and "the Centre should understand the political implications", Ms. Banerjee said, adding that she would take her agitation to Delhi and stage a demonstration outside the residence of the Prime Minister along with the victims of rape if the Centre continued to remain silent.

Restore peace

The State Congress leadership has appealed for peace to be restored in the area to ensure the safety of the people living there.

"It is interesting that while the Chief Minister is appealing for peace, his partymen are attacking the villagers," said Manas Bhunia, General Secretary, West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee.

He alleged that there was widespread "panic" and "turbulence" in Sonachura village of Nandigram following indiscriminate and reckless firing earlier in the day.

Mr. Bhunia also favoured the idea of an all-party meeting convened by the State Governor. There was no "constitutional bar" in such a move.

"It is not for the Chief Minister to call such a meeting as he has already accepted responsibility for what happened," he said.

He also demanded a clarification on the exact number of people living below the poverty line in the State as the figures provided by the Chief Minister varied with those provide by the State's Finance Minister during his budget speech.

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