The Hindu : Front Page : Buddhadeb meets Governor

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 14, 2007
ePaper

Front Page

Front Page

Buddhadeb meets Governor

Special Correspondent

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Tuesday called on Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi and discussed the Nandigram developments.

Mr. Bhattacharjee also apprised the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of the situation in Nandigram after Dr. Singh’s arrival from Moscow, it was learnt.

Earlier in the day, the government submitted a report to the Governor on the violence and the steps taken for restoring normality in Nandigram.

Before visiting Raj Bhavan, Mr. Bhattacharjee said the violence could have been avoided if the Union government had promptly sent the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) soon after his request.

“I wrote to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil on October 27 but the CRPF came on November 12. The arrival followed only after a letter of regret sent to him on November 5, a telephonic conversation with him and a request to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to help facilitate matters,” the Chief Minister said.

“The deployment of Central forces was sought only after a political solution, through talks with the Opposition that was initiated in September-October, turned elusive,” he said.

Though he felt that the strength of the CRPF deployed in Nandigram was inadequate, he was confident that “within the next two to three days peace will be restored in the area.”

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page