CPI(M) hits back at Chidambaram for remark on West Bengal

New Delhi, April 27: Terming as "absurd" Home Minister P Chidambaram's remarks that West Bengal was among the worst governed states in the country, the CPI(M) on Tuesday hit back at him saying he was part of a government presiding over the "most corrupt regime" in independent India.

In a statement, the party Polit Bureau said it was a "ludicrous statement" coming from a person "who belongs to a government which is presiding over the most corrupt regime in independent India".

"Mercifully, West Bengal has been saved from the style of governance that Chidambaram's party has been practising at the Centre," it said.

The "absurdity" of the statement can be gauged from the fact that on the very day when Chidambaram made the statement, West Bengal was given an award for Panchayati Raj programme rural development by the Centre, it said.

"It is shocking that the Home Minister goes to West Bengal and does not speak a word of condemnation on the Maoist violence which has led to the death of 265 cadres and supporters of the CPI(M) and the Left Front since the last Lok Sabha elections," the party said.

Instead, he has levelled the "patently false" charge that it is the CPI(M) which is responsible for the killings by presenting wrong figures, the party said.

"By covering up the Maoist violence and the Maoist-TMC collaboration, Chidambaram has betrayed the elementary duty entrusted to him as the Home Minister of the country.

"The egregious and partisan manner in which Chidambaram is behaving will only call into question the way he is handling the key office of Home Minister in the government." the statement said.

Reacting to Chidambaram's remarks, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had yesterday held him ''fully responsible'' for unrest in Kashmir and Andhra Pradesh and asked him ''to take care of his own business''.

"I advise that the doctor should treat himself first and not try to teach us as we are confident of taking care of ourselves," he had said.

PTI