Basu flays Sonia for comments on Nandigram and law and order

Kolkata, Apr 29 (UNI) Slamming Ms Sonia Gandhi for her remarks on Nandigram and the law and order situation in West Bengal, CPI(M) patriarch Jyoti Basu today said the Congress president knew nothing about the state.

Mr Basu also said he was surprised that instead of speaking on soaring prices of essentials, Ms Gandhi chose to rake up the Nandigram issue.

'' I read in newspapers that she came to the state to campaign for Panchayat elections. She knows nothing about the state. What she has said does not have any importance, '' Mr Basu told reporters after coming out of the party's Polit Bureau meeting.

Addressing a public rally at Behrampore in Murshidabad district, Ms Gandhi said she was with the people of Nandigram, especially the women, children and farmers, who had faced sorrow and hardship.

Criticising the CPI(M)-led Left Front government in the state over the law and order situation, she alleged that the people were falling to repeated torture and atrocities.

The Congress president also criticised the role of the CPI(M)-led Left Front Government, which she said, should first accept its responsibility and determine why West Bengal was still lagging behind after 30 years of Left rule.

Mr Gandhi drew flak from the CPI(M) veteran also on the price rise issue for not offering any comment on the people's sufferings.

'' Whatever she said was just for the sake of pre-election campaign. She has not spoken a word about price rise when people are suffering so much. It is the duty of the Centre to control prices, '' he said.

Mr Basu alleged that neither was the UPA Government following the CMP nor was it doing anything on other policies.

To a question on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's reported advice to Left leaders against politicising the price rise issue, Mr Basu said his party had resentment on it.

'' We have resentment on it and party secretary Prakash Karat will speak to you, '' he said.

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