Nandigram violence a political assault: CPI(M)

New Delhi, Mar 14 (UNI) The CPI(M) today came down heavily on both the "overground and underground" forces working in West Bengal for "instigating" violence there and did not rule out the possibility of the Congress' hand behind the Nandigram incident in which at least four people were killed in police firing.

Terming the incident as condemnable and unfortunate, the Left party said the incident had to do nothing with the issue of SEZ or industrialisation, asserting that the" political assault will be met politically." At a joint press conference, CPI(M) leaders Sitaram Yechury and Basudeb Acharia said the Trinamool Congress, the Congress or the Maoists had not for the first time launched a "political assault" by using arms.

" Similar incidents had happened in Keshpur. The armed gangs belonging to the overground and underground forces are roaming about Nandigram now, this is simple and straightforward a political battle," the CPI(M) leader said adding that the party district unit has given a 24 hours bandh call in the area beginning 1700 hours today.

Defending the police action, Mr Yechury, the party Parliamentary Group leader, said the police resorted to force only after the lathicharge and teargassing failed to desist the" huge armed villagers.' Mr Acharia, the party floor leader in the Lok Sabha, emphasised that there had been no law and order for the last two months as normal life has been badly affected there with the "armed gangs" laying seige to the area.

Replying to a volley of questions on" contradictions" in the SEZ policy being pursued by the West Bengal government, the failure of the state intelligence, the Left intellectuals' criticism of Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee philosophy of industrialisation by acquiring the farmers' land, the Left leaders sought to impress upon the media to understand " one simple thing that the party and the government has made it abundantaly clear no farm land would be acquired until a national policy on SEZ was in place and that unless the farmers' consent was obtained." UNI