Even as a Central team is likely to visit West Bengal after the latest bout of violence in areas like Khanakul in Hooghly, Congress Legislature Party in the state Assembly Manas Bhuniya today wrote to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, urging him to take stock of the law and order situation in the state and send the team to other areas affected by political violence too.

“I also request you to send the team to different parts of West Midnapore, Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum and Burdwan and take steps to seize illegal fire arms from CPM strongholds and party workers in West Bengal,” Bhuniya said in his letter.

The Congress leader alleged the CPM has turned more violent after the recent poll debacles.

He also wants the Central team to take stock of the joint security operations in and around Lalgarh where 63 people have been killed since the troops began their offensive in June this year.

Bhuniya, however, remained silent on the imposition of Article 356 in the state as demanded by Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee. “Communists should be driven out of the state by the people. I believe people, and not Article 356, should drive them out of power,” he said.

Mamata wants Chidambaram’s visit
After demanding that a Central team visit West Bengal on “state-sponsored terrorism”, Trinamool Congress chief and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today said the situation required that Union Home Minister P Chidambaram pay a visit to the state. “The situation in the state requires a visit by the Union Home Minister. The onus lies on the Centre to protect the Constitution if the state government does not perform its ‘rajdharma,” Banerjee told reporters here.

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