CRPF not to be deployed in Nandigram: CM

Tamluk (East Midnapore) Aug 9: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Saturday, Aug 9 ruled out the need of deploying the CRPF in Nandigram to tackle violence.

''There is no need of reintroducing the Central Reserve Police Force in Nandigram as demanded by the Trinamool Congress, SUCI and the Samajwadi Party,'' he told reporters after an all party meeting. ''An elected government is working in the state and they have full faith in the police which is capable enough to tackle the situation,'' Mr Bhattacharjee said. Earlier, the SUCI, in a letter to District Magistrate Anup Agarwal, had demanded immediate re-deployment of the CRPF in view of fresh violence in Nandigram which claimed the lives of two CPI(M) leaders.

At the meeting Mrs Sailja Das of Congress also demanded reintroduction of the central force which was supported by the Samajwadi Party.

The Trinamool Congress and the SUCI did not attend the meeting.

Mr Bhattacharjee said he was against holding meetings and processions by political parties in Nandigram as these were creating tension in the troubled area.

The Congress, however, did not agree with him.

The chief minister assured those attending the meeting that all roads and bridges which had been dug up in Nandigram would be repaired. He also said that cultivation, which was hampered owing to violence, would be taken up with government help.

''I expect the Trinamool Congress, which won the recent Zilla Parishad election, to begin development work with the administration's help,'' he said.

Later, when reporters quizzed CPI(M) MP Lakshman Seth on the need of a CBI inquiry, as demanded by Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, into the murder of two CPI(M) local committee secretaries he said, ''The CBI may be a friend of the Congress but the CPI(M) has full faith in the efficacy of the state police.'' The SUCI was holding a demonstration ouside the DM's premises while the chief minister was addressing the press.

UNI