Mamata turns down Buddha request for all party peace meet

Nandigram, Apr 25 (UNI) Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee today virtually turned down Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's appeal to all opposition parties to join all party peace meeting.

''We won't join any peace meeting till they stop violence,'' she said while addressing a rally at Garchakraberia in Nandigram this afternoon.

Her refusal to join the all-party meet came shortly after the Chief Minister urged the opposition parties to make success peace talks to help restore normalcy in the strife-torn area.

Talking to reporters at the Writers' Buildings, the Chief Minister regretted that a stalemate situation was prevailing in Nandigram as the opposition, especially the Trinamool Congress, was evading all-party meetings, called several times after the March 14 police firing.

However, alleging that the CPI (M) was putting up a double face, Ms Banerjee said while the Chief Minister was making a ''public show'' with his requests to the opposition, his party cadres were firing gun shots at Nandigram from the adjoining Khejuri everyday to keep up the unrest.

''We are interested in restoring peace in Nandigram more than the CPI(M). There was no need to request us to join the all party peace meeting in Tamluk,'' she said.

Enthused by the large attendance at the meeting and the mood of the crowd, the Trinamool supremo declared that the rally of ''Jami Raksha Committee'' which was due to be held in Calcutta on May 21st would take place at Haldia, adjoining Nandigram.

Lambasting Mr Bhattacharjee for letting his party MP Laxman Seth go scotfree, she said, ''Seth is behind the murder of 14 peasants in police firing on March 14 in Nandigram.'' ''The CPI (M) is nervous and shaky because of the imminent Panchayat election in the state. Don't be befooled by them. They will maintain the low profile till the Panchayet elections,'' she warned.

Ms Banerjee assured that her party will take care of all the women who have been assaulted in the Nandigram incident.

UNI