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Buddhadeb blames Minority Forum leadership

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has blamed the “irresponsible” leadership of the All- India Minority Forum for Wednesday’s violence in parts of the city.

Appealing to the people to help maintain peace, he said the police had shown restraint in the face of attacks on them and the Army had to be called in to prevent the situation from getting out of hand. It was brought under control in the evening, he said.

Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi described the developments as reprehensible and urged all to refrain from violence and help maintain peace and harmony.

Describing the developments as “unfortunate,” CPI(M) State Committee secretary Biman Bose said: To establish peace and restore normality in the city and not fall victim to any sort of provocation, it is necessary to assist the administration in maintaining peace, and we appeal to all to neither spread rumours nor pay heed to them.” The CPI(M) leadership called for peace processions and sought the cooperation of all political parties.

Appealing for calm, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee blamed the State government and the city police for “failure” to anticipate the situation.

The display of anger was “an expression of the disaffection among the people over the developments in Nandigram,” she said, adding the anxiety over the death of computer graphics teacher Rizwanur Rahman added to the discontent.

Police Commissioner Gautam Mohan Chakravarty, however, said the “police had shown utter restraint.

M.N.R. Barkati, Imam of the Tippu Sultan mosque, reiterated his demand for expulsion of the Bangladeshi writer in exile, Taslima Nasreen.

“What has happened is because she is being able to stay on in the city,” he said referring to the day’s incidents.

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