Mamata demands Bhattacharjee's arrest for Nandigram carnage

Kolkata, Mar 18 (UNI) In a speech loaded with rhetoric, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee today demanded arrest of West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee for the Nandigram carnage.

She said the people would have the last word on the communists and not the power that flows from the barrel of guns.

''Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee should be arrested. People don't trust him. His white dress is now stained with blood. We don't treat him as chief minister, but as a killer,'' Ms Banerjee said at a rally of ''Krishijami Raksha Committee'' (Save Farmland Committee).

''The arrest of 10 CPI-M cadres and seizure of a large quantity of arms and ammunition from them at Khejuri by the CBI has established the involvement of Bhattacharjee and since the chief minister has taken the entire responsibility for the firing which killed 14 people, he should resign,'' Ms Banerjee told the convention.

''They are shameless. Look at this piece of paper for donation.

They are collecting subscription for Nandigram people. What can be more ridiculous than this?'' Ms Banerjee said at the rally.

''The horrors perpetrated there were mindless. So many people are still missing. The CPI-M have done away with the bodies in a practiced art,'' she said.

''This time, they cannot hush it up. The complaint has been lodged in the minds of the people. For 48 hours after the carnage no one was allowed inside. By the time people were allowed, the crime was covered up,'' said Ms Banerjee.

She then went on to add, ''Only verbal assurances will not do, all notices will have to be withdrawn legally. The chief minister had earlier said that the notice should be scrapped in Nandigram, but even after that genocide has taken place there.'' Janata Dal (United) leader George Fernandes also participated in the procession and said the government till now did not know how many had died in the carnage.

He demanded resignation of the Chief Minister and imposition of President's Rule in West Bengal.

Bengali actor Chiranjib also took part in the procession.

At least 14 people were officially killed and 71 injured in Nandigram in East Midnapore, about 150 km southwest of Kolkata, on March 14 after police opened fire to quell villagers and retake control of the area.

UNI