No longer mute on Lalgarh,CPM demands Central forces

The statement said that “Maoists are using poor tribals as human shields to further their goals.” “Shockingly,these depredations have the indirect and direct support of important sections of the Opposition political parties in West Bengal. In Burdwan district,a CPM district committee member Phalguni Mukherjee was shot dead by miscreants connected to the Trinamool Congress,” it added.

Urging the “democratic-minded people” to condemn the attacks,the Politburo asked its units to protest against the killings of party leaders in the state.

This comes after a Maoist leader held a press conference at Lalgarh on Monday. With a sophisticated rifle hanging around his neck,the Maoist leader claimed of masterminding a plot to kill Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in November 2008.

On Tuesday evening,state secretariat of the West Bengal CPM held an emergency meeting to chalk out a strategy to combat the Maoist menace. The secretariat met after the chief minister sought the party secretary Biman Bose’s help to cope with the situation.

Bhattacharjee is facing flak from within the party for not doing enough to tackle the threat from Maoists. On Monday,at the floor co-ordination meeting of the Left Front legislators,many CPM MLAs had expressed their anger over the police inaction.

It is learnt that many senior CPM leaders have urged the party to reconsider the state government’s decision of not imposing any ban on Maoist activities in the state. “How can we face them (Maoists) politically at Lalgarh? They are killing our men and have terrorised the entire area. Many of our leaders have to take personal bodyguards with them as the Maoists have openly issued death threats against them,” said a senior CPM leader.

The CPM,at the same time,is nervous about bloodshed. Senior leaders of the party have urged the chief minister to avoid bloodshed and large-scale casualties during the operations in Lalgarh.

“The Opposition will certainly raise a hue and cry once if anyone is killed or injured in the operations against the Maoists. Naturally,you have to be extra-cautious in handling the Central forces and you have to avoid any bloodshed,” senior party leaders urged Bhattacharjee during the meeting.

Meanwhile,the ruling Left Front will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday on the developments in Lalgarh.