CALCUTTA, MARCH 7: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Trinamool Congress appear to be heading for a major showdown on the law and order issue in West Bengal.While the Left Front Government is blaming the Trinamool Congress and the State Bharatiya Janata Party unit for creating a law and order problem so that ``the Centre can intervene,'' the latter vowed to take ``the violation of human rights cases'' to the people.
Speaking to reporters here this afternoon at her residence, Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee disclosed that during her meeting with Union Home Minister L K Advani last week, she submitted ``detailed reports on the cases of human rights violations and the CPI (M)-sponsored police torture on the political opponents in the State.''
She added that she also submitted the `Draft Report and Thesis on the Current National Political Situation' by the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), an ally of the CPI (M), which, ``talked about the CPI (M)'s atrocities on politicalallies.''
Banerjee, who visited Khanakool yesterday to meet the `victims of police firing', said: ``This time, I expect the Union Home Ministry to act.''She refused to elaborate on the nature of Central investigation into Wednesday's police firing on demonstrators, which, she said, ``left a 15-year-old student dead and had human rights violations, including the molestation of women by police.''
However, she said, ``Advani appears to have asked his departmental officers to probe these cases.''
Banerjee plans to visit Basanti and Kumarmari in the South 24-Paraganas district, where RSP and CPI (M) supporters killed each other recently. Incidentally, in Basanti, CPI (M) supporters allegedly killed over three RSP supporters last year.
When told that ``after all, RSP supporters are CPI (M) allies,'' she shot back, ``So what? RSP supporters are also human beings like us and if their leaders fail to take up their cause, I will take it up for them,'' adding, ``We are just waiting for the exams to be over.''
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.