PC sends alert, Didi smells blood

New Delhi, 1 Sep: The Union home ministry has “alerted” the Bengal government to armed camps of CPI(M) cadres in parts of the state, prompting Mamata Banerjee to iterate her allegation that the party was “unleashing terror” with the help of these bases.

Union home minister P. Chidambaram said here today: “It is generally agreed that there are some camps in some parts of West Bengal. There are cadres carrying arms.”

Asked what action the Centre proposed to take following allegations that such armed supporters were “capturing” villages in and around Lalgarh, Chidambaram said he had asked the state government to look into the complaints.

“Law and order is a state subject. Our (the Centre’s) duty is to assist the state government and to ask the government of West Bengal to take steps. I hope the state government will look into the matter,” he said.

Mamata met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee during the Parliament session that concluded yesterday and submitted a list of such camps.

At a meeting in Bagha Jatin today, the Trinamool Congress chief said: “Not only the home minister but also the governor has said that the harmads (armed cadres) have set up camps in Jungle Mahal. Despite this, the CPI(M) is still setting up camps. They are shameless.”

She alleged that the armed cadres included “hired goons” who “are paid Rs 1 lakh for every murder”.

Trinamool has alleged that the armed CPI(M) men are being trained in these camps, which are being used as staging posts to raid villages and purge them of rivals.


The Telegraph