Trinamool Congress, led by Mamata Banerjee, is pressing the government to use Article 355 of the Constitution and take over “law and order and development” in the Naxal infested regions of the country. Though its primary aim is to get its writ running in the Maoist infested regions of West Bengal, it is attempting not to make it appear so by underlining that it should be applied across the country to tackle the rebels effectively.

The TMC further wants that the Central intervention should be monitored by a Union Minister from the state, which would, in effect, empower members of the party in the government to take over.

Interestingly, the demand comes close on the heels of Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi making a similar demand regarding Central intervention in Bundelkhand — a region across Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. It led to protests from both UP and MP and constitutional experts termed it impractical, referring to Centre-state relations.

The Trinamool, on the other hand, feels that use of Article 355 is the only effective tool before the government to root out Naxal menace. “This is the only way Naxalism can be eradicated. It has been proved that states cannot meet the challenge and thus, it’s high time the Centre intervenes directly in these regions,” a senior TMC leader told The Indian Express underlining that Article 355 states, “it shall be the duty of the Union to protect every state against external aggression and internal disturbance”.

The TMC has come up with the demand at a time when the Centre is drawing up a comprehensive plan to root out Left wing extremism (LWE). A draft note for the Cabinet — ‘Meeting developmental & security challenges in the extremist affected areas’ — is being circulated to all the key departments of the government for their opinion.

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