Calcutta HC orders CBI probe into Nandigram issue

New Delhi/Kolkata, Mar 15: The Calcutta High Court today directed the CBI to inquire into yesterday's Nandigram police firing and submit a report within seven days, as the issue rocked Parliament.

A two-judge bench of the High Court, headed by Chief Justice Surinder Singh Nijjar, took up the case suo motu and issued a ruling, saying that no one could imagine such an incident in a democracy.

Welcoming the court order, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee regretted yesterday's incident in which 14 people were killed and said he favoured a CBI inquiry. He assured that the proposed chemical hub would not be set up in the area against the people's wishes.

Demanding dismissal of the government in West Bengal, the Opposition NDA trooped into the well of the Lok Sabha and noisy scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha, leaving the presiding officers with no option but to adjourn the Houses.

The agitated Opposition members were on their feet in the Lok Sabha, shouting slogans, condemning indiscriminate firing on the innocent villagers and demanding dismissal of the CPI(M) government.

The Treasury benches, however, merely watched the scene.

At 1400 hours, the House was adjourned finally for the day barely after a minute as a slogan shouting Opposition again trooped the well.

In the Upper House, Leader of Opposition Jaswant Singh got up to raise the issue, but was shouted down by the CPI-M as well as the Congress. Some members from the Treasury Benches demanded the Questions listed for the day be taken up. Din continued for five minutes compelling Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat to adjourn the House till noon.

The scene was no different when the Rajya Sabha re-assembled and the Chair was left with no option but to adjourn the House for the day.

In Nandigram, Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi after visiting the injured, admitted to Tamluk hospital described yesterday's incident as ''tragic'', while Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee demanded the resignation of the Chief Minister owning responsibility for the police firing.

The Trinamool leader alleged that she was intercepted by CPI(M) supporters at Chanditala on her way to Nandigram last night. The CPI(M) men surrounded the entire area and shouted slogans, she said.

The CPI(M) supporters put logs on road and shouted slogans, ''Go back Mamata''. After spending the night at a guest house in Kanthi, Ms.Banerjee reached Nandigram this morning.

The NDA condemning the Nandigram killings compared the massacre to Jallianwala Bagh massacre and said it will move a resolution in Parliament against the ''well-orchestrated attack on farmers by the Left Front government in West Bengal.'' In Delhi, Leader of Opposition L K Advani expressed his shock and outrage over yesterday's 'barbaric' act and demanded the state government take necessary steps to restore normalcy. He wanted the Centre to ask the state to unconditionally withdraw the proposal to set up Special Economic Zone.

Mr Advani said he had spoken to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Minister Shivraj Patil and expressed his sense of outrage and sought their intervention to stop violence and restore law and order and constitutional governance.

CPI (M) leader Brinda Karat, hailing the High Court directive for a CBI inquiry, said ''We have no problem with CBI or judicial inquiry.'' AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa and Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy also condemned the deaths of the innocent people in separate messages.

UNI