CPM rebels grab opportunity, hit out against Basu’s tooth-for-tooth approach

Former MP Saifuddin Choudhury and state minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Subhas Chakrabarthy have thrown their weight behind Patitunda.

Basu had said at Thursday’s rally that the CPI(M) workers would retaliate if they were attacked. “This tooth-for-tooth policy will beget more violence in the state,” Patitunda said. “I appeal to all, irrespective of their party affiliations, to come forward and work for peace in the state,” he added.

Chakrabarthy was scheduled to address the meeting but chose to keep away. While the organisers said the minister was not well, sources close to him said as the meeting got publicity as one organised by dissidents, the minister chose to keep away. He did not want to project himself as a dissident at this juncture, the sources said.

Patitunda also said he did not want to name any individual or party as one which was perpetrating violence in the state. His statement is in contrast with the CPI(M)’s official line of blaming it on Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress. “I don’t want to name any party, particularly the Trinamool, as there are scores of people in that party who are against violence,” Patitunda said. “I want Trinamool also to come and join us in our fight against violence,” the influential party leader added.

He said in every party there should be freedom of opinion. “There should be a threadbare discussion everywhere and everybody’s opinion should be respected,” he said, adding that a series of rallys would be organised soon in protest against the violence.