Maoists are the biggest problem in West Bengal, says Buddhadeb
Kolkata:West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee
on Saturday said the Maoist problem was emerging as a major problem in the State and it was now the biggest challenge before his Government. Addressing a public
convention of the Left Front at the Netaji Indoor Stadium, Kolkata, Buddhadeb
Bhattacharjee said the Maoists were utilizing the jungle and hilly terrain of
the area to conduct their activities with impunity while adding that they were
also using the border with Jharkhand to move around between the two states without
being caught. "Our biggest problem now is that some districts in south Bengal,
especially West Midnapore, Bankura, Purulia are facing the brunt of maoist activities.
This is right now our biggest problem. You know this is in India's central area,
a tribal belt. This area is poor, it is also surrounded by forests and hills.
Extremists chose these kinds of spots to carry out such activities. Hence they
have chosen Jharkhand and using that as launching pad, the Maoists are operating
here. In our state they are creating problems in Bankura, Purulia, West Midnapore
and adjacent areas." Critising the opposition Trinamool Congress party, Bhattacharjee
said that Trinamool party ministers were in cahoots with the Maoists. He said
that even the Indian Railways had failed to name the Maoists or the Peoples' Committee
Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) in its First Information Report (FIR) on the
Rajdhani hostage drama, which rocked the country recently. "The Central govt as
well as the Prime Minister have said the Maoists are our biggest security threat.
If we had understood this in our state, if Trinamool Congress had understood this
that Maoists want to end the democratic process.. but Trinamool thinks otherwise.
That's unfortunate," the West Bengal CM said. Bhattacharjee said that this proved
that the opposition was hands in glove with the Maoists who were destabilising
the State. He blamed the opposition leaders in the State being prone to lose talk
on the issue and behaving irresponsibly in the matter. "There are other ministers
with her. They said they knew about the incident (Rajdhani Drama) from the previous
evening. What kind of people are these? But others don't seem to understand the
gravity of these statements or even give them due importance. But these things
are said to scare people. If they knew why didn't they inform the PM or even the
Railway Minister? I think this is all useless talk, not to be taken seriously."
Bhattacharya also pointed out Maoists killing CPI(M) supporters in the state and
they wanted to de-stabilise the democratic process in the country. "What kind
of Maoists are they who are creating explosions. Then they are murdering people.
In the last two months not one day has passed when someone has not been killed
in West Midnapore. Murders happened yesterday too. People are called from home
in the middle of the night and shot dead. They shoot and escape to the forests
or to Jharkhand. In the last two months, if not more, at least 65 CPI(M) workers
have been killed. Our party worker was killed in Purulia after his home was set
on fire. Other left leaders are also threatened". The Left Front Chairman, Biman
Bose, and other senior left leaders were also present on the occasion.
