As political clashes break out, Trinamool seeks central hand

Kolkata, Nov 2: Claiming collapse of law and order in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress Monday sought visit by a central home ministry team to the troubled areas of the state after violent political clashes broke out in several areas of Hooghly district.

Two policemen and at least eight activists of ruling Left Front major Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and main opposition Trinamool Congress were injured in fierce clashes in several villages under Khanakul police station.

Two policemen were injured when they were fired at by assailants, an official said. However, Trinamool sources blamed CPI-M backed hoodlums for the firing at Chakbhadua village Monday morning.

Trinamool claimed three of its workers were injured when CPI-M men opened fire at them.

CPI-M sources said five cadres were in hospital with serious injuries.

Trinamool Congress parliamentary party chief whip Sudip Bandopadhyay wrote to Home Minister P. Chidambaram, demanding a visit by a home ministry team to various trouble-torn pockets of the state.

"The visit of a central team is part of imposition of Article 355. If need be, an United Progressive Alliance (UPA) delegation should be sent to see the situation," Bandyopadhyay said, while also calling for deployment of the army in the violence-hit zones.

"I have sent a fax to the union home minister. I will speak to him tomorrow. I will tell him how the administration has been polluted under Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. One cannot expect political impartiality from this administration," he alleged.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee alleged that the CPI-M had given out arms to its cadres who were unleashing violence across Armabagh and Khanakul areas.

Condemning the CPI-M for the atrocities, she said though the Trinamool was opposed in principle to strikes and blockades, "if this situation continues, we will be forced to call a bigger political movement".

Banerjee said the CPI-M had fomented trouble to scuttle a meeting she is scheduled to hold in Khanakul Wednesday.

After the Lok Sabha polls, which saw the Congress-Trinamool combine almost sweeping the state, the state has witnessed regular political clashes which have claimed over 100 lives.

--IANS