Under fire from the Left Front partners for giving his nod for the Centre’s ban on the CPI (Maoist), Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Thursday stood his ground in a crucial LF meeting, saying he had little choice and winning over the vocal dissenters towards the end of the hour-long session.

CPM’s allies like the RSP, CPI and Forward Bloc had earlier lashed out at the CM for his alleged zeal in implementing the Central ban on the ultra-Left outfit.

Emerging from the meeting, Left Front chairman Biman Bose too defended the chief minister in no uncertain terms. “They (Maoists) had planned to kill the chief minister in a landmine blast. Is it a democratic movement? What would a government do to tackle such armed attacks on innocent people,” Bose said after the Left Front meeting that lasted nearly an hour. He added that political initiatives would follow to contain alienation among the people in the Maoist strongholds.

Sources said during the meeting, the CM defended his role on the issue, saying the UAPA, under which the ban was clamped on the CPI (Maoist), was a central Act applicable across the country. “The Act is not subject to ratification in the state Assembly. But the CM has assured the leaders that he will discuss the issue in the cabinet core committee,” Bose said after the meeting.

During the discussions, Nandagopal Bhattacharjee, CPI leader and state Minister in-charge of Minor Irrigation reportedly asked the CM about the arrest of top Maoist leader Gour Chakraborty on Tuesday. “You are saying that the government will decide about the way the UAPA will be enforced in the state. But how come within hours of your statement Chakraborty was picked up by the police?” the minister reportedly asked the CM.

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