Mamata to press for Bhattacharjee's resignation

Kolkata, Mar 17 (UNI) Sticking to the demand that Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee resign and his Government is dismissed, the Trinamool Congress will take out a 'March to the Assembly' on March 23 while continuing movement against acquisition of farm land for industry.

Holding the Chief Minister responsible for the Nandigram deaths and the current unrest over industrialisation, Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee today said his removal was necessary for restoration of peace in the state.

"He is the protagonist in the genocide in Nandigram. The people of Bengal do not believe him. This Government will not be able to restore peace in the state and it must be sacked," she said after a meeting of the Krishi Jami Raksha Committee, the Trinamool-led platform of 20 organisations spearheading the movement against acquisition of agricultural land for industry.

Ms.Banerjee had already urged the Centre to impose President's rule in the state under the provision of article 356 of the Constitution.

She also demanded that the Government withdraw all notifications for acquisition of agricultural land in Nandigram, Singur, Bhangar and elsewhere in the state and said the Jami Raksha Committee would continue its movement pressing for it.

Though the Chief Minister had already announced in the state Assembly that no land would be acquired in Nandigram, Ms.Banerjee refused to take his words for granted. "Two days after he assured that land would not be taken over, police forced its way in Nandigram and committed the murders," she maintained.

Besides the march to Assembly programme, the party would take out a procession in the city tomorrow in protest against the Nandigram police firing and observe "Nandigram Day" on March 19 remembering the "martyrs" who fell to police bullet on March 14.

Ms.Banerjee also announced that on March 20 she would visit Singur where the process was on for setting up Tata Motors's small car project while her party would take out another procession the next day from Jorasanko to College Square.

The Trinamool leader, who alleged that the actual number of deaths in Nandigram was much higher than the official figure, alleged that many bodies had been buried and attempts were on to tamper with the evidence of firing.

"I urge different organisations, including CBI, RAW and the Defence to press into service their dog squads to unearth the bodies to get to the truth," she said.

UNI