Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has invited Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind’s state secretary Siddiqullah Chowdhury for participating in a discussion on the “present situation” of the state.

This is the first occasion — after the Nandigram incident — when Bhattacharjee will meet the Jamiat leader who has been leading one of the anti-CPM movements in Nandigram and elsewhere in the state.

The meeting, scheduled to take place on Thursday at Writers’ Buildings, comes at a time when various social and religious groups are expecting strong action by the CPM-led state Government against police officers who interfered in the life of Rizwanur Rehman and Priyanka Todi.

“The Chief Minister has sent me a letter, saying he wants to hold a discussion on the present situation of the state. Jamiat’s central body, members of the Gano Unnayan O Jano Adhikar Sangram Samiti and the Milli Ittihad Parishad (both led by Chowdhury), are of the opinion that there’s no harm in participating in talks,” Chowdhury told The Indian Express.

Apart from Chowdhury, the CM has also invited Muslim leaders who are considered to have a substantial influence in the community. Sources in the administration say the letters dispatched by the Chief Minister’s Office are addressed to the Muslim leaders and not the organisations they represent.

“Around 26 leaders representing social and religious bodies have been invited. The chief minister wants to take up recent developments in the state with the community. CPM leaders, MP Md Salim, Minister for Land and Land Reforms Abdur Rezzak Mollah and Minister for minorities Abdus Sattar have also been asked to join,” a source said.