Mamata urges PM to visit Nandigram

Kolkata, Mar 16 (UNI) Alleging that the magnitude of Nandigram mayhem was huge, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to visit the area for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.

"The Prime Minister should personally visit Nandigram to know what happened instead of taking account of a party. He should talk to the injured people and their families," she told reporters.

Alleging that more than 100 villagers had been killed in Wednesday's police firing, Ms Banerjee also urged the Prime Minister to send a Central team and a medical contingent to Nandigram.

"Between 300 and 400 people received gun shots. More than 100 people, including school kids, are among the dead, while more than 300 people are missing. The local people told us that many bodies had been smuggled out of the area," she said.

She also alleged that many of the victims bore marks of shots, fired by CPI(M) cadres.

"I also appeal to the National Human Rights Commission, the Minority Commission, all political parties, judges and social organisations to come on a fact finding mission," she said.

Ms Banerjee said she had already talked to the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Lal Krishna Advani and BJP president Rajnath Singh apprising them of the whole incident.

Alleging that the "genocide" in Nandigram was unparallel, she said it proved that there was no administration in West Bengal. "I will tell the Centre that if this Chief Minister remains, it will be a blot on the state," she said.

Calling for immediate resignation of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and his Government for the killings, Ms Banerjee threatened to launch a sustained movement if her demand was not met.

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