Bullets greet hungry people scouring for food: Mamata

Santiniketan, Oct 5:Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee today alleged that the state government was showering the poor with bullets instead of food. Talking to newsmen at Labhpur, where one person was killed in police firing, she said, that when the poor villagers ask for food, this government shower them with bullets and charged the ration dealers in collusion with the Panchayat administration, with depriving the needy of the essentials. '' Charging the Government with ''killing the hungry'', Ms Banerjee and Congress Legislature Party leader Manas Bhunia had earlier demanded a CBI inquiry into the alleged PDS malpractices and continuing unrest in Birbhum, Bankura and Bardhaman districts.

She again reiterated her demand for a CBI enquiry into the serial violence in the three districts in the state over the past few days.

In all two persons - one in Birbhum district and another in Bardhaman - were killed in police firing when they were staging demonstration in front of the residences of the ration dealers.

Ms Banerjee gave Rs 15,000 as financial aid to each of the families of the deceased.

Speaking on the Rizwanur-Priyanka case, she said the CID report was a total farce and added that it was not possible for any politician or police offical to mete out justice to such cases as it was beyond their jurisdiction.

'' In the Rizwanur case, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee called for a judicial inquiry only after Rizwanur's mother and brother filed a case with Calcutta High Court. It is the same here as well, '' she maintained.

Earlier, Mr Bhattacharjee had strongly condemned such incidents and appealed to the people not to take law into their own hands, and said, '' We have received complaints against some dealers and appropriate steps would be taken against them. ''

UNI