Fishing in troubled waters of West Bengal’s Lalgarh, the Congress, for the first time, demanded the Left Front government should step down “if they can’t restore the law and order” in Bengal. As violence against the CPI(M) in Bengal’s tribal belt of Lalgarh intensifies, the Congress today jumped into action trying to score political points.
The Congress claimed that it doesn’t support the Naxal means of violence but simultaneously slammed the ruling Left Front for creating such a situation in Bengal. “For the last 32 years, there is no rule of democracy but of cadres in Bengal. Whatever is happening in Lalgarh is because of the policy and misrule of the Left,” party spokesperson Manish Tiwari said.
The party, however, was cautious to add that it is not claiming imposition of Article 356 or President’s rule in the state. “It is the duty of a government to maintain the law and order situation in a state. if it fails to do that, The government should voluntarily resign,” Tiwari said.
Trinamool Congress MP and Minister of State of Urban Development Saugata Ray echoed the same line. “This is happening because Naxals are getting support from the common people. There is so much anger against the ruling CPI(M) and the anger has now got unleashed. There may be Naxal elements but no one can deny the voluntary outburst of anger of the common people against the CPI(M).”
Meanwhile, the available members of the CPI(M) politburo met today at Delhi to discuss the situation. Later, politburo leader Sitaram Yechury said, “the Centre should co-ordinate with the state in a better way to solve the Naxal problem. Prime Minister has already said that Naxalism is the biggest menace of this country. The state government has been seeking Centre’s help for quite some time against the Naxals.”
Brinda Karat, another politburo member, today questioned the silence of the Congress and the Trinamool Congress against these attacks. “Our political opponents are sitting silently as the Naxals are killing our cadres. This shows they have tacit support for the violence.”
As the West Bengal government is keen to avoid another “Nandigram” and prefers the central forces take the charge of combating the Naxals in Lalgarh, the Congress today came down heavily on the reluctance of the state to restore the situation. “The Bengal government can’t abrogate its responsibility. It should also remember that this situation in Lalgarh has not happened overnight,” Manish Tiwari said.