Mamata slams Chidambaram on Maoists issue

Kolkata, Apr 15: Defying Prime Minister direction to stay away from the Maoists issue, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee lashed out at Home Minister P Chidambaram for overlooking the atrocities carried out by CPI (M) in the name of anti-Maoists operation.

"My question to Chidambaram is - what is happening in the name of joint operations? It is an operation against the people. It is not an operation against Maoists.

"There is no Maoist. The CPI(M) are killing people and leaving Maoist flags beside bodies. The joint operations are to kill opposition party activists and to create a reign of terror by the CPI(M) which wants to cling to power," she told a press conference here.

Mamata alleged that the 'CPI(M) is running about 200 camps in the district to train cadre to handle sophisticated weapons' and said that the arms training camps by the CPI(M) were held at various places including in Enayatpur anchal panchayat, Kangsabati village gram panchayat, Kashijhora anchal panchayat, Salboni camp and at Goaltore.

"My question to Chidambaram babu is: Have you allowed the CPI(M) to set up such camps? Has it not come to your knowledge? If it is in your knowledge, what have you done? Chidambaram should reply," she asked.

Alleging that the CPI(M) minister Sushanta Ghosh and Dipak Sarker were the masterminds behind the operation, the Trinamool Congress leader said that operations should be stopped as it is not conducted properly.

"My question to Chidambaram babu is - whether joint operations should be controlled by the Home Ministry or the CPI(M) district secretary Dipak Sarkar whose permission is needed for even journalists to enter Lalgarh."

Mamata said that the 300 people were not able to enter their homes since Monday, Apr 12.

On the circular issued by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh which said that the only Union Home Minister would speak on Maoist issue, Mamata said that justified herself saying that she was speaking as politcal leader on the prevelant situation.

"PM is correct from his point. PM did not say that the government will kill people," she said.

She said that 60 TMC supporters have been killed by the CPI(M) men since Jan 2010 and said that even Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee had admitted to the killing of 3200 people, including 800 political activists.

"There is no democracy. State-sponsored terrorism is going on and the chief minister is responsible for it. We will drive out CPI(M)from Bengal and restore the people's democratic rights," she said.

OneIndia News