West Bengal CM warns against imposition of President's rule

BHUBANESWAR, JAN. 21. The West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, today warned the Centre against imposing President's rule in the State.

Mr. Bhattacharjee, who was here to attend the CPI(M)'s central committee meeting, averred, ``the people of the State would teach the Centre a lesson, if it imposed President's rule on the alibi of deteriorating law and order situation''. The Centre had imposed President's rule in the past in some States, including West Bengal. In 90 per cent of the cases, the rule was imposed owing to political reasons. The State came under President's rule twice in 1967 and 1969, and this time again the Centre was trying to repeat it, which would not succeed, he said.

He described the visit of the fact-finding team of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to Chota Angra village in Midnapore district to probe into the alleged carnage there as ``unwanted''.

``I do not know why they went and what were they doing there, Mr. Bhattacharjee said when asked if he considered the team's visit to his State motivated. ``It was unfair on the part of the NHRC not to take the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) into confidence in the matter,'' he said.

He expressed confidence that the Left Front would return to power after the Assembly elections. The Left Front had clear policies and programmes for land reforms, agriculture, panchayats, industries, education and information technology and the Government was implementing them for the last 24 years.

He said the Left Front would face the main opposition from the Trinamool Congress-BJP alliance in the coming elections. The Congress was also trying to join the grand alliance. He said the CPI(M) would never join hands with the Congress to counter the BJP as his party had fundamental difference with the Congress on economic policies. However, ``if we have to choose between the BJP and the Congress and no third alternative was available, we will support the Congress,'' he added.

Stating that he was not trying to step into the shoes of his predecessor, Mr. Jyoti Basu, who was too big for him, Mr. Bhattacharjee said the elections would be fought under a collective leadership of the CPI(M) and other Left Front parties.

To a question, Mr. Bhattacharjee claimed that his party had been drawing far greater crowds in public meetings compared to rallies addressed by the Trinamool Congress leaders.

The Chief Minister said he had invited Ms. Mamata Banerjee for talks not because of her popularity, ``but because she was creating problems every now and then''.

He refused to comment on unprecedented security arrangements being made inside the West Bengal Assembly for its ensuing session. ``It is not my area, it is the domain of the Speaker. In any case I will find out the details from the Speaker after I reach Kolkata,'' he said.

Describing the recent industrial violence at Baranagar as an isolated incident, he said the situation in the labour- management field in West Bengal was by and large peaceful. While the Left Front supported the demands of the workers, it would not tolerate any physical assault, gherao and other types of violence by them, he said.

- UNI, PTI

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