Says Central team’s visit to disturbed zones unnecessary, slams Centre for its silence

Even as the three-member Central team met state officials in Kolkata today, the CPM-led Left Front stepped up pressure on it, with party state secretary Biman Bose saying their visit to the disturbed zones is unnecessary.

A few hours after the team led by the additional secretary of the Union Home Ministry, D R S Chowdhury, met state chief secretary and other senior officials, Left Front chairman Biman Bose dared the Union government to invoke Article 356, saying “the state is ready to accept the challenge”.

Bose hinted the state government will not allow the team to visit the disturbed zones, including Khanakul in Hooghly district and Lalgarh in West Midnapore.

“The Central team’s visit to the disturbed zones is unnecessary. There is no need to visit there without the consent from the state government,” Bose told reporters as he emerged from a Left Front meeting at the Alimuddin Street state CPM headquarters.

Bose also asked a Left Front delegation to meet the team at the Writers’ Buildings and submit a memorandum to it. Later, a 10-member Left Front delegation led by former CPM MP Md Salim met the Central team and handed over to it a CD and other documents purportedly establishing the nexus between Trinamool Congress and the Maoists.

“It is the Trinamool Congress which is creating trouble in the state since the Lok Sabha elections. We have given the Central team a document to justify our claim about the nexus between the Trinamool and the outlawed CPI (Maoist),” Salim said.

... contd.