Nandigram on top agenda of BJP: Sushma Swaraj

New Delhi, Nov 14: Bringing Nandigram on top of its agenda, the BJP today said it would press for a debate in both Houses of Parliament on the issue from the beginning of the Winter Session.

"We will seek suspension of the Question Hour on the very first day of the Winter Session to demand for a discussion on Nandigram violence which has taken a toll of many people," Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj told newspersons.

She said the party had made it clear to Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee at the meeting convened by him on the eve of the Session today. BJP Parliamentary Party spokesman and Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha Vijay Kumar Malhotra represented the party in the meeting.

Ms Swaraj said it was very unfortunate that the BJP's demand was opposed by the Left Parties at the meeting on the ground that it was a law and order issue and pertained to the state and hence could not be raised in Parliament.

The BJP on its part had made it clear that the matter is related to the SEZ and farmers and cannot be treated merely as a state subject. "The party is going to raise it forcefully, failing which it will not allow the House to function," she said.

Ms Swaraj, who was part of a 10-member NDA delegation led by Leader of the Opposition L K Advani that visited Nandigram yesterday, said the situation there was very serious as CPM cadre were ruling the roost and police and other para military forces were the mute spectators.

The people there were so scared that they shuddered to open up even before the delegation, she said, adding that there were umpteen number of rape and molestation cases besides killing and abduction of non-leftist people agitating against the forceful acquisition of their land for SEZ.

She said she had visited Nandigram for the third time yesterday.

In the first two times, the people in large number came forward to narrate their wows but it was not so this time as they were very scared.

She condemned the statement of West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee that "the cadre had paid back in the same coin", saying it was very unbecoming on the part of the Chief Minister to make such an irresponsible statement. "I am also surprised at the silence of the UPA Government, particularly the Congress on the statement?'' she said.

Dismissing the CPM's argument that the Maoists were creating violence in Nandigram, she said the Centre as well as the Left owed to explain if it was the right manner to contain the Naxalism which was prevalent in as many as 150 districts across the country.

UNI