Karat rules out Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's resignation

Kolkata, Mar 18: Ruling out the demand of the opposition, CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat today said there was no question of removing Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee for the Nandigram incident. ''The people of West Bengal have elected their Chief Minister. There is no question of his removal,'' he told the reporters in a reply to a question after attending the state party meeting at the CPI (M) office.

Mr Karat, however, said he would place a report on the Nandigram incident and the subsequent events at the party's political meeting for a discussion.

''I met the state party leader and discussed whatever has happened since March 14. I have collected reports, which I will place before the Polit Bureau,'' he said.

Immediately after the meeting, the CPI (M) general secretary also met veteran leader Jyoti Basu, at his Saltlake residence to discuss the situation, which had triggered a national outcry.

UNI