Clarify stand on Article 356, BJP tells CPM

The BJP leader saw this as an outcome of the reign of terror let loose by the state apparatus. “It is not a mere clash between two political parties,” he said. He reiterated that the BJP was not talking about imposing Article 356 in the state even though the situation there was serious.

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) — under constant attack from the BJP-led Government at the Centre — decided to return the compliment by condemning new party chief Bangaru Laxman for ignoring the flood-affected people during his recent visit to Midnapore in West Bengal. Accusing Laxman of playing politics at a time when the state is struggling to contain the worst-ever flood in 20 years, the CPI(M) politburo here said: “He did not have the courtesy to offer relief to the flood-affected people in the state. Instead, he was talking on an issue which is furthermost from the people’s mind right now.”

Pointing to Laxman’s visit as a proof of the BJP-led Government’s “narrow self-serving concern about the state and its people”, the leaders of the Left parties — which are holding a joint convention here tomorrow — said they would raise the issue with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and President K.R. Narayanan.

As part of the Left’s counter-attack programme, a group of MPs from the Left parties visited the violence-affected parts of Midnapore district “to assure the people that Trinamool inspired violence will stop”.

On the defensive, the Left parties were also careful to play down senior West Bengal Congress MP Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi’s visit to the Prime Minister’s residence in company of their arch rival and Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee.

“Dasmunshi had gone there in his personal capacity and not as a representative of the Congress party. It is their problem, let them sort it out. In any case, they have clarified their stand,” a senior CPI(M) MP from West Bengal said.

Ridiculing Mamata Banerjee’s wangling of a relief package from the Prime Minister for the flood-affected people in West Bengal — where unofficial figures put the toll at over 500 — the CPI-M politburo said: “It is another of her packages. No one will see where the relief went, like nobody knows what happened to her West Bengal package.”

The CPI(M), with the support of other Left parties, is preparing a dossier of the land reform programme which, it says, is the source of violence in various parts of the state.