CM faces party ire over KLO killings

The killing of five CPI(M) workers by suspected Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) members at Dhupguri on Saturday has blown the lid off a simmering dissent in the party over poor police administration in Bengal.

And facing the flak is none other than Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, who holds the law and order portfolio. DGP D.C. Vajpai, who was sent by the CM to Dhupguri on Monday, was heckled by CPI(M) workers near the party office. Vajpai was abused and a police contingent had to step in to restore order.

CPI(M) leader Banamali Roy said the heckling was an outburst against the killings and the failure of the police to prevent it. He said Vajpai must have seen for himself that the Dhupguri police station was barely 200 metres from the party office which was attacked.

Earlier, the police response to the killings was condemned at a high-level meeting at the CPI(M) headquarters in Kolkata. Senior party leaders said there had been indiscriminate firing by the assailants who came and escaped in bicycles without resistance.