Former CPM rebel claims threat to life

Former CPM rebel claims threat to life
SABYASACHI BANDOPADHYAY

KOLKATA, MARCH 8: Leaders of the Party for Democratic Socialism, founded last month by former CPI(M) leaders Saifuddin Choudhury and Samir Putatunda, among others, have expressed grave concern over alleged threats to the life of Putatunda, a general secretary of the newly-formed party. Putatunda has said several times that he has been getting several threatening phone calls and letters.

``I believe the CPI(M) wants to frighten me but I am not bothered,'' Putatunda, formerly the general secretary of CPI(M) South-24 Parganas district committee, told this reporter. ``They have not only threatened me but scores of other people who had joined our party from CPI(M). I want to see how far they can go. If I am harmed the people of West Bengal will give them a befitting reply,'' Putatunda said.

``By threatening us, they can not stop us,'' Choudhury, president of the PDS, told The Indian Express. ``We had to cancel a rally at Canning (in South 24 Parganas district) yesterday because we got to know the CPI(M) was hatching a conspiracy to storm the venue and disrupt it. We have told Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya about the threats to us including Putatunda,'' Choudhury said.

``The CPI(M) is a ruthless party and if it is cornered it can go to any length to decimate its opponent,'' Tapati Saha, a member of PDS state committee who was earlier a CPI(M) MLA from Taltala in Kolkata, said. ``We are worried about his safety.''

Putatunda, however, said that he had not yet approached the police to give him any special protection. ``I have already two policemen guarding me. This arrangement was made by the CPI(M) itself and they had not yet withdrawn them. But I am not afraid of anything,'' he said.

Anil Biswas, secretary of CPI(M) state committee, however, brushed aside the allegations against his party. ``This is all meaningless and baseless,'' Biswas said. ``The CPI(M) does not frighten anybody,'' he added.

Incidentally, Putatunda had taken lots of documents with him away when he left the party. Former chief minister Jyoti Basu had even called him a ``thief'' for taking a car with him. ``I have taken those documents which are important both to them and to me,'' he said, adding: ``And as far as the car is concerned, I am not using it personally, I have given it to the new party,'' he clarified.