Contrary to expectations of the Trinamool Congress, the Central team today avoided going to violence-hit areas in West Bengal as it had demanded, but submitted a "suggestion" to the government. The "suggestion" handed over to the government by the team despatched by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram at the insistence of the Trinamool Congress, a major ally of the UPA, "might be related to better maintenance of law and order in affected areas", officials said.
The team, headed by Additional Secretary (Home) DRS Chowdhury, held a meeting with magistrates and police superintendents of nine violence-affected districts at Writers' Buildings.
The team met DMs and SPs of Hooghly, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, South and North 24-Parganas, Burdwan, Darjeeling, Birbhum and Bankura and discussed law and order, Naxalite violence, the problem in Darjeeling and in the Dooars.
The team, which held three meetings with top state officials also met Chief Secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti for a "wrap-up". Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen and Director-General of Police Bhupinder Singh were present. Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was briefed about the meetings by the chief secretary. There was no official briefing.
Earlier in the day, a Trinamool Congress delegation, headed by party general secretary and Union Minister of State for Shipping Mukul Roy submitted a memorandum to the team. The CPI(M)-led Left Front had yesterday described the decision to send a Central team as “unwarranted” and dared the UPA government to promulgate President’s Rule in the state.
CPI(M) state secretary Biman Bose had declared that the team must visit all troublespots in the state, including Naxalite-infested Lalgarh in Paschim Medinipur district and not just Khanakul in Hooghly district which had witnessed recent violence as demanded by the Trinamool Congress.
Visit a victory for people: TMC
Playing down the central team not going to trouble spots in West Bengal as demanded, the Trinamool Congress on Wednesday said the visit itself was a "victory for the people", while reiterating its demand for President's Rule in the state. "It is a victory for the people of West Bengal that for the first time in 33 years of Left Front Rule a Central team visited the state to assess the deteriorating law and order situation," Trinamool Congress leader and Union Minister Mukul Roy said after a party delegation led by him met the team.
