The Hindu : National : Mamata wants operation called off

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 30, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

National

National

Mamata wants operation called off

Special Correspondent

KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Monday demanded that the Union government call off the joint operation by the Central security forces and West Bengal police against Maoists in Lalgarh. Instead, it should carry out operations to seize arms allegedly stockpiled by CPI(M) activists in different parts of the State.

Talking to journalists here, the Railway Minister said: “I am once again saying that instead of supporting the CPI(M) by carrying out the joint operation in Lalgarh we want combing operations by the Central forces to seize arms from different parts of the State for the sake of peace and to safeguard the democratic rights of people.”

Ms. Banerjee claimed: “Like what had happened in Nandigram [in 2007], armed cadres of the CPI(M) were moving about in motorcycles holding aloft red [party] flags in a bid to reoccupy the Lalgarh area.”

The Trinamool chief urged the Centre to immediately convene an emergency meeting to be attended by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Home Minister P. Chidambaram to review what was happening in Lalgarh “in the name of flushing out the Maoists.” “The so-called operation against the Maoists is a drama,” she asserted.

Ms. Banerjee had earlier expressed her displeasure at not being consulted over the joint operation though she is in the government at the Centre.

She said she spoke to Mr. Mukherjee on Sunday about the situation in Lalgarh. She had also submitted a report to him alleging State-sponsored attacks on villagers at Lalgarh, Keshpur and Salboni.

Ms. Banerjee demanded that the Centre declare the districts of Paschim Medinipur, Bankura and Purulia (where Maoists had been active) disturbed areas under the Disturbed Areas Act.

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

National