Chidambaram asks Buddhadeb to ensure law and order

New Delhi/Kolkata, Nov 5 : With a flare-up in Maoist violence in certain West Bengal districts and political clashes between the CPI(M) and Trinamool Congress taking place regularly, Home Minister P Chidambaram talked to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to maintain law and order in the state whatever be the provocation.

The Home Minister asked the state Government to strictly ensure law and order in the state, irrespective of provocation for political violence.

Taking serious note of the recent spurt in violence and the reports of intermittent clashes between the workers of Trinamool Congress and CPI(M) in West Bengal, Mr Chidambaram spoke to the Chief Minister.

The Home Minister impressed upon the Chief Minister the need to maintain law and order ''whatever be the provocation''.

Responding to a query today Mr Chidambaram said, ''I did speak to Mr Bhattacherjee and impressed upon him that whatever be the cause of the inter-party clashes, it is the duty of the state government to maintain law and order.'' The Home Minister made this remark on being asked at the CCEA briefing as to what steps the government were taking relating to the violence. Reports indicate that yesterday clashes took place between the workers of CPI(M) and Trinamool Congress at Khanakul in Hooghly district.

The Home Minister also added that the Centre has been in constant touch with the state government on the law and order issue and receiving updates from it on regular basis.

Clashes between the two opponents in West Bengal had increased in the wake of the forthcoming Assembly bypolls on November 7, when elections would be held across 10 Assembly constituencies.

Reacting to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram's advice on West Bengal`s law and order situation, the ruling Left Front today said the state Government was 'seriously looking into it'.

''Law and order is the state's subject. I think our Government is seriously looking into it and also doing quite well,'' Front Chairman Biman Basu told reporers.

''If the state Government seeks any help from the Centre, I think, the Centre should also step forward and help them out,'' he said.

West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi today summoned Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen and discussed the law and order situation in the state with special focus on Lalgarh.

The meeting between the Governor and the Home Secretary was held at Raj Bhavan which lasted for about half-an-hour.

Raj Bhavan sources said Mr Gandhi has expressed concern over the law and order situation in the Lalgarh region and some other parts of the state.

''We have discussed the law and order situation in the state with special focus on Lalgarh,'' Mr Sen told reporters at Writers' Buildings. He, however, refused to divulge the details.

The meeting assumed special significance with the Union Home Minister asking Mr Bhattacharjee during the day to ensure law and order in the state notwithstanding the provocation for violence in different parts of West Bengal.

Incidentally, the Chief Minister will visit Midnapore district on November 7 to review the law and order situation.

During his two-day stay there, Mr Bhattacharjee will also inspect the progress of the developmental works in East and West Midnapore districts.

Meanwhile, six additional companies of the CRPF reached Lalgarh this morning, bringing the total number of the combined forces to 25 so far, even as the PCPA continued its road blockade demanding immediate withdrawal of the forces from the Jungle Mahal areas.

--UNI

(c) 2009 Published with permission from United News of India.
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