To defeat Trinamool means defeating Maoists : Buddhadeb
Kolkata, May 6 : Alleging that the underground Maoists and the Trinamool Congress were maintaining a close political nexus, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee called for defeating the state's main Opposition party to defeat the extremists.
" They are contesting among themselves no doubt, but they are in close political and organisational coordination among themselves.
Maoists, the so-called People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) are moving together," the Chief Minister told a press conference.
" That is the problem. Therefore, I told you, to defeat Trinamool, means defeating the Maoists," he said.
Mr Bhattacharjee's comment came four days before the state's sixth and last round of Assembly polls, to be held for 14 seats in the Maoist-hit areas of West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura districts.
The CPI(M)-led ruling Left Front had been alleging for long that the Trinamool Congress was hand in gloves with the Maoists to carry out violence, arson and murder, particularly aiming at liquidating Left workers in the Jangalmahal area.
Mr Bhattacharjee alleged that 'hindrances' were being put before the Left parties to carry out poll-related programmes in the Jangalmahal and even 'pressure' was mounted on some Front candidates to withdraw nomination.
He, however, appealed to the people to cast their votes overcoming all difficulties.
Commenting on the unabated Maoists activities in the three districts, the Chief Minister said it was a 'wrong notion' that underdevelopment was the only reason for the problem.
" It is not also only a law and order problem. It is a complicated problem. We have to tackle these Maoists administratively. At the same time, we are seriously taking care of the problem of underdevelopment," he said.
Mr Bhattacharjee claimed that though there was a halt for some time, development work was in full swing in the Jangalmahal area.
He said 27,000 land deeds had been distributed among the poor landless people in the area while the state Government was giving subsidy on the local trade of saal and kendu leaves through a tribal cooperative. Besides, schools and health centres were being set up and scholarships for students were on offer, the Chief Minister addes.
--UNI
