As Lalgarh continues to boil, Left Front leaders on Wednesday told Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to take “stern and steady but not hasty” action against Maoists.

The leaders also asked him to exercise caution and avoid a repeat of a Nandigram-like situation, where 14 people had died in police firing.

During the meet, which took place at Alimuddin Street, Bhattacharjee told the leaders that around 100 highly-trained and around 400 semi-trained Maoists are responsible for the violence in Lalgarh.

“The state government must do whatever it takes to safeguard the lives of people and civil liberties. It is for the state government to take action,” Left Front chairman Biman Bose told mediapersons after the meeting.

“It is for the state government to take action, but one should exercise restraint and caution,” said Ashok Ghosh, state secretary of Forward Bloc.

Rubbishing claims that the Lalgarh situation is the manifestation of public outrage against administrative lapses, the Left Front blamed the “unholy nexus” between the Trinamool Congress and the Maoists for the violence.

“This is not public outrage. After the Lok Sabha elections the Trinamool Congress, their pre-poll allies and the Maoists are spreading fascist-style terror in Bengal. In some districts, the Congress has also joined them. They are trying to destroy the democratic atmosphere in Bengal,” Bose said.

“Though the Opposition leader (read Mamata Banerjee) is talking about peace and non-violence, her ministers and MPs are openly issuing threats to our leaders and supporters,” Bose added.

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