WB CM slams Chidambaram over 'nasty words'

Kolkata, Dec 29: The chief minister of West Bengal Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in his reply to Home Minister P Chidambaram's letter, slammed the home minister and criticised him (Chidambaram) for speaking Trinamool Congress' language.

"I strongly object to your using the word 'harmad' (hired killers) to mean CPI-M party workers without knowing the meaning of the nasty word coined by Trinamool Congress," stated Mr Bhattacharjee in his letter to the home ministry.

Blaming Trinamool Congress over their Maoists link, the chief minister also claimed, "Trinamool Congress had earlier a secret contact with Maoists. Now they are openly organising meetings with the them."

Dwelling on the Maoist menace, Bhattacharjee said that the ultras were active in 28 police station areas in three districts on the state.

They were killing political opponents, looting arms and resorting to extortion, the letter said.

Bhattacharjee also listed success of the joint forces operating against the Maoists who, he said, posed the biggest threat to the internal security of the country.

"Central and state forces have achieved major success. Life is gradually coming back to normal and people who were evicted are going back to their homes," he said.

Without mentioning the CPI-M, Bhattacharjee said that he was trying to disarm all armed groups. Chidambaram's letter had asked the state government to disarm CPI-M cadres.

The chief minister also sought to correct Chidambaram on the figures quoted by him in the letter, saying '69 CPI-M workers were killed in political clashes and 723 injured while 32 Trinamool Congress activists were killed and 601 injured'.

Admitting that it was not a happy situation, Bhattacharjee said he was trying his best to stop the senseless killings.

He also regretted that despite his repeated appeals to all political parties to stop violence, Trinamool Congress had not responded and refused to talk to the administration while other parties cooperated.

OneIndia News
(With inputs from PTI)