The Hindu : National : Brinda Karat defends Buddhadeb

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Monday, Nov 19, 2007
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National

Brinda Karat defends Buddhadeb

‘Buddhadeb has
the support of
the people’
Lot of misreporting on Nandigram

New Delhi: Hitting back at Left-leaning intellectuals who criticised the West Bengal government on the Nandigram issue, senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat on Sunday said she was “puzzled” by their silence when hundreds of villagers were not allowed entry there for the past several months.

The Polit Bureau member said they did not raise their voice when 3,500 villagers were out in the camps for about 11 months and denied entry to Nandigram. “I respect the works of many of these intellectuals and artists. But I am a little bit puzzled. For 11 months, when 3,500 people were out in the camps [Trinamool Congress chief] Mamata Banerjee said it was a drama. Did they accept that,” Ms. Karat told Karan Thapar’s ‘Devil’s Advocate’ on CNN-IBN.

“Where were they? I want to know. I am puzzled about that,” she said.

Asked about noted historian Sumit Sarkar’s criticism of the CPI(M), she said she did not want to go into the criticism raised by individuals. “He has never been in support of the CPI(M).”

Defending party colleague Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Ms. Karat said he was the only chief minister in the country who had declared that there would be no land acquisition if people did not want it.

“He has the support of the people of Bengal. This is the only chief minister who attempted to bring the opposition to confidence. But there is a motivated political alliance from Maoists to the BJP to the Congress to the Trinamool who oppose him,” she said.

“There has been one-sided reporting. That is why I am saying we are concerned. CPI(M) cadre were at the receiving end for the last 11 months,” she said.

Asked about the alleged rape of women in Nandigram, the 59-year-old leader said if there is any veracity in these reports, the West Bengal government will take “strict and stringent” action against the culprits. — PTI

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