The Hindu : National : BJP alleges continuing violence in Nandigram

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Thursday, Nov 15, 2007
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BJP alleges continuing violence in Nandigram

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Fresh from a visit to West Bengal’s trouble spot Nandigram, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha Sushma Swaraj related tales of terror in Nandigram — “assault, rape and murder” — allegedly by cadre of the Communist Party of India(Marxist). This, she said, had taken on dimensions that need to be discussed by Parliament.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Ms. Swaraj said the National Democratic Alliance team led by the Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani was the first such group allowed to visit the area after the recent violence.

“There was an atmosphere of fear and terror. No one came out of their homes, unlike during my last two visits, and no one wanted to speak to us. The few who did were immediately told by their relatives not to as it could mean death,” Ms. Swaraj said.

Ms. Swaraj said the West Bengal Chief Minister had himself said the CPI(M) had to pay back the Opposition “in the same coin.” How could a Chief Minister talk this language, she wondered. “What did the Centre have to say about this admission that the ruling party had taken the law into its own hands,” she asked.

In response to a question Ms. Swaraj denied that the BJP had used a similar expression about the Gujarat riots of 2002 — “every action has a reaction” – that the Sabarmati Express carnage was bound to lead to a reaction. “We never said this,” she claimed.

“This phrase was wrongly attributed to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in an interview he had never given,” she said.

Later, party general secretary Arun Jaitley also claimed that the BJP had never justified the Gujarat riots by using that phrase.

The BJP demanded a “full report” by the Governor on the continuing “violence” in Nandigram. Mr. Advani has demanded that he give directions to the State government under Article 355 of the Constitution, and if the Government failed in its duty, Article 356 should be used to impose President’s Rule. This view has already been conveyed to the Governor.

Ms. Swaraj was not ready to believe the Chief Minister when he said that “Maoists” had disturbed the peace in the area.

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