Maintain law and order, Chidambaram tells Buddhadeb

New Delhi, Nov 5 : Home Minister P. Chidambaram Thursday asked the Left Front government in West Bengal to maintain law and order "whatever be the provocation", following clashes during the campaign for bye-elections in the state.

"I had spoken to the chief minister. I impressed upon him that whatever be the cause of inter-party clashes, it is the duty of the state government to maintain law and order," Chidambaram told reporters here.

Asked whether the centre would seek a report from the state government over the clashes between workers of CPI-M and Trinamool Congress at Khanakul in Hooghly district Thursday, the home minister said he told Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to "ensure that law and order is maintained whatever be the provocation for the clashes".