Erect 'stupa' for Nandigram victims first: Cong to Karat

Hyderabad, Aug 22 (UNI) Dismissing as ''politically motivated'' the second phase of land struggle announced by CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat yesterday, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in Andhra Pradesh today suggested the Left parties to start their stir from West Bengal.

Addressing a press conference here Government Chief Whip N Kirankumar Reddy said the CPI(M) should have erected a 'stupa' in Nandigram, to pay homage to the 11 people killed in police firing in the Left-ruled West Bengal before coming to Mudigonda.

The CPI(M) had a ''political agenda'' to destabilise the Rajasekhara Reddy Government, which, he claimed, had taken up on a massive scale welfare schemes, including distribution of cultivable land and house sites to the poor.

The Congress Government had already ordered a judicial probe into the police firing and provided Rs six lakh as compensation to the families of the seven killed in Mudigonda, besides land, house and government jobs to the next of kin of the victims, he said.

Asking Mr Karat to arrange for compensation to the Nandigram victims first, he expressed doubts whether the ''CPI(M) was a national party or a regional party.'' ''Why is it adopting double standards,'' he wondered, asking the CPI(M) leader to ensure resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee before taking up any stir in Andhra Pradesh.

He said 60 to 70 lakh houses were being distributed to the poor under INDIRAMMA scheme in Andhra Pradesh, whereas only 6.40 lakh houses were constructed for poor in West Bengal and that too under centrally-sponsored Indira Awas Yojana (IAY).

Pointing out that house sites were distributed to 15 lakh people in the state against 50,000 in West Bengal, Mr Reddy, who made a study tour of West Bengal recently, said pensions was given in West Bengal only to 1.80 lakh people whereas 50 lakh people got it in Andhra Pradesh.

UNI