History will not forgive Marxists for Nandigram mayhem:Advani

Nandigram, Mar 17 (UNI) Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L K Advani today accused West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee of unleashing a reign of terror in the name of industrialisation.

Addressing a rally at Sonachura bazar, on the outskirts of Nandigram, Mr Advani, who is leading a nine-member NDA fact finding mission on the March 14 massacre, said, ''What had happened at Nandigram and Sonachura was worse than the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre''.

He said, ''though the Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place during the British rule, the genocide that took place in Nandigram had happened more than five decades after the country achieved independence''.

Coming down heavily on the Marxists, Mr Advani said, History will not forgive them for Nandigram massacre. History will never forget such macabre incidents which were unheard of anywhere else in the country''.

A visibly moved Mr Advani, after talking to a number of hapless victims of the alleged police atrocities, reiterated NDA's firm commitment to remain with them and raise the issue for discussion in Parliament.

Susma Swaraj, the deputy leader of the team, and NDA convener George Fernandes said the CPI(M) led Left Front government in West Bengal had 'forfeited its right to be the people's representative' of the state. They also criticised the role of the police force and said they should be charged for their random killings and severely punished for allegedly raping several women in the area in the name of re-establishing the role of administration.

She said Mr Advani wanted to bring an All Party team but as Parliament did not agree to it, he was forced to bring the NDA nine -member team comprising the BJD, Akali Dal, Panthers Party, Trinamool Congress and BJP.

Overcoming the palpable threat from the ruling party workers more than 5000 odd people had gathered at Sonachura to listen to the NDA leaders. The crowd had been repeatedly demanding the 'most severe punishment' to the Chief Minister and the Chairman of the Haldia Development Authority Lakshman Seth, M P, holding them entirely responsible for the massacre.

Among others S S Ahluwalia, another vocal M P from BJP, charged the CPI(M) was even 'worse than the Hitler's S S group' and said ''we are determined to bring out the truth and early exit of the ruling Left Front from the state and bring back normalcy in the Nandigram Sonachura areas'' at the earliest.

Earlier, Mr Advani and the NDA members arrived at Sonachura market and a gave a patient hearing to the affected people who had either lost some of their relatives in the most 'brutal killing' and near and dear ones of those raped and promised them to bring to book those responsible for the heinous act.

Later on they also visited the Sonachura Primary hospital and Nandigram hopital where about 30 of the injured had been admitted and spoke to them.

Trinamool MLA Sisir Adhikary also addressed the gathering.

UNI