Nandigram: TC takes Maoists’ help, says Karat

“Trinamool Congress have taken the help of Maoists to consolidate their hold in the area,” Karat told reporters after the two-day meeting of party Politburo.

He alleged that the Maoists had been used to drive out common people from Nandigram about two months ago and later consolidated their positions, preventing even the administration from entering the area.

Karat claimed the Maoists had built bunkers and set up training camps in Nandigram.

He said even National Security Adviser M K Narayanan had yesterday spoken about involvement of Maoists in Nandigram violence.

“We are the biggest party. We are conscious of our responsibility to maintain unity. If there is any problem from our side, we will make serious efforts…All the other parties will have to be conscious about their role in strengthening the unity of Left front,” Karat said.

The CPI(M) General Secretary said the situation in Nandigram had been “abnormal and disturbing” for the last 11 months and wondered what was the land struggle by Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee all about.

“There is no SEZ there. There was a proposal for a chemical hub. The government has already selected another place for the chemical hub,” he said and claimed that the area has become a kind of no entry zone for administration, police and even elected panchayat members.

“People have been driven out of the area” and they have created a “parallel Raj” there, he said, adding “we have waited for 11 months” and even at this stage “we are keeping 1500 people in refugee camps”.

Karat said affected people have been sent back to Nandigram and normal life will return in the coming days with functioning of the administration.

Taking a dig at Mamata, he said the Trinamool Congress leader is supposed to have resigned from Lok Sabha but “she has sent her resignation to the wrong address”.

Karat said even the Prime Minister has recently said that the Maoists are the single biggest threat to the national unity.

He was also critical of Governor questioning the state government’s stand through the media but parried a query on whether the party will press for his recall.

“We have expressed our view on what the role of the Governor should be. The Governor can advise, report and confide, express his views to state government or the Central government. We have no problem with that,” he said.

He wondered why the Central Government, the Governor and the High Court have not taken note of how administration is stopped from entering a small piece of land.