Advani flays Buddhadeb for 'aggressive' industrialisation

Nandigram, Mar 17 (UNI) Senior BJP leader L K Advani today ridiculed the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government for its 'aggressive' industrialisation programme through 'forceful acquisition of farmland'.

Comparing the industrialisation programme of the Narendra Modi government in Gujarat with the one in West Bengal, he said unlike in West Bengal not even one acre of farmland was ''forcefully'' acquired. ''But hundreds of acres of multiple crop land are being taken away forcibly in West Bengal in the name of industry,'' he regretted.

The Opposition leader in the Lok Sabha was addressing a meeting as leader of a 9-member NDA fact finding team to assess the damage following the March 14 police firing here in which 14 people died.

Referring to the NDA's commitment to stand beside the 'suffering' farmers here and in neighbouring Sonachura, Mr Advani said from Monday the issue would again be raised in both the houses of the Parliament.

''We will force the CPI(M)-led Left Front to come to terms with the affected farmers and, if necessary, force the Centre to take suitable steps to redress the issue,'' he said.

Party veteran Sushma Swaraj even cautioned the Left Front government against their 'inhuman' attitude in Nandigram and Sonachura.

The other members of the team included NDA convener George Fernandes, senior BJP leader S S Ahaluwalia, Trinamool Congress MP Dinesh Trivedi and BJP Lok Sabha member J S Pandey.

Hundreds of people lining both sides of the road greeted the team members and shouted anti-government slogans.

Later after visiting the injured in the hospital the team vent its anger and claimed that the Front had forfeited its right to govern the state. The members also demanded immediate resignation of the government.

UNI