No Salim related projects for Nandigram- Karat

New Delhi, Mar 19 (UNI) The CPI(M) today came out with a fact sheet to establish that ''the police action in Nandigram was the culmination of the two-and a half- months' seizure of the area by the Maoists under the political patronage of the Trinamool Congress'' and expressed ''deep regret'' over the loss of innocent lives.

The top CPI(M) leadership also reiterated that there is no question of any land being acquired for the SEZ projects not only in Nandigram and the entire state before the SEZs were reviewed and a policy enacted at the national level.

At a press conference, Party General Secretary Prakash Karat, who had just returned from a visit to Kolkata to take stock of the situation, said his party was still of the view that the judicial enquiry is the best option to establish the truth and the circumstances that led to the ''unfortunate happening.'' ''For us, the Communists the killing of farmers and the ordinary people in the police firing is still very painful and no democracy loving people will approve of the same,'' Mr Karat said adding that they had to ''wait for the report of the CBI enquiry which will come out with its findings within a few days.'' Mr Karat fielded a volley of questions relating to the rationale behind the presence of the Maoists, the breakdown of law and order for the last 30 months in the Nandigram area, the fleeing of over 2500 CPI(M) cadres from there and the Left partners disatisfaction with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's' 'unilateral' style of functioning.

The CPI( M) top leader repeatedly pointed out towards what he termed as ''unfounded'' propaganda by the BJP, TMC and a section of the media and the well-meaning people that harps on the land acquisition in Nandigram. ''Earlier there was a proposal for a chemical hub but at no time notification of land acquisition was given.'' He said it was a notice issued by the Haldia Development Authority. Besides, the state CM said categorically on February 9 that no SEZ would proceed till the SEZ Act was reviewed and changed incorporating the new alterations that the Left parties wanted.

Even the party Polit Bureau said this at its two-day meeting on February 17-18, the CPI(M) leader said adding that the party Meet also made its position clear on the nature, size and use of land for the purpose. On NDA leaders L K Advani, Sushma Swaraj and George Fernandes visiting the site, Mr Karat said, ''every political party has a right to inspect but the BJP's insistence on invocation of the Article 356 to dismiss and destabilise the elected WB government is not acceptable to the Left parties.'' To repeated questions on the acquisition of land for Nandigram and the people's reaction, Mr Karat said, ''the situation in Singur is quite different from that of Nandigram. Definitely in Nandigram the Salim-related projects will not proceed where the displacement of people is involved.'' But the Jindal projects where displacement was not involved, would proceed.

He was of the view that the Left Front meeting in Kolkata on the policy and administrative issues would go a long way in tackling the problem.

''I have seen the evidence of the presence of the armed people in Nandigram... the Maoists are coming from Jharkhand,'' he said adding that there had been no communication between the government and the party with people of Block No one of Nandigram. I want my party people to go back to their homes." UNI KSA RP BD1742