Date:24/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/24/stories/2007112455641400.htm

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Don’t compare Godhra to Nandigram: Yechury

Staff Correspondent

SHIMLA: A grand alliance of forces, ranging from the Trinamool Congress to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and from foreign-funded non-governmental organisations to the corporate media, had joined hands against the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in West Bengal. They were trying to compare the Nandigram incidents with the Godhra carnage in a well-planned move to bring down the democratically elected government, senior CPI(M) leader and Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury said here on Friday.

Trivialising serious issue

This was nothing but trivialising the serious issue of state-sponsored genocide in Gujarat, in which more than 2,500 people were killed. Expressing surprise at the comparison, he said the problem in Nandigram was limited to just one- and a-half blocks, of the 341 in the State.

Releasing the list of party candidates for the second phase of elections in Himachal Pradesh, he said it was the CPI(M) that had borne the brunt and suffered the maximum casualties in Nandigram. Twenty seven CPI(M) members had been killed there.

Mr. Yechury blamed the naxalites, who were being supported by the Trinamool Congress, the Socialist Unity Centre of India and the Bharatiya Janata Party for the situation in West Bengal. The demand by these parties for imposition of President’s Rule in the State was ridiculous.

Stating that the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh elections would have an important bearing on national politics, he said the CPI(M)’s priority would be to defeat the communal forces and strengthen the Left forces to influence the policies of any secular government that comes to power.

Centre’s prerogative

On the shifting of Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen outside West Bengal, Mr. Yechury said it was the prerogative of the Union government to allot or deny visa to any foreign national. It was for the Centre to decide where she should live or work.

Earlier, State CPI(M) secretary Rakesh Singha announced the names of seven candidates. The party would fight 15 seats in alliance with the CPI in Himachal Pradesh.