Not Nandigram, insists Basu

Saturday’s police action on villagers in Andhra Pradesh reverberated here on Monday with former Chief Minister Jyoti Basu asserting that police action was necessary in Nandigram as a violent mob was involved in serious clashes there. After emerging from the CPI(M)’s State Committee meeting at Alimuddin Street, Basu told reporters that he saw no parallel between Nandigram and Khammam.

“At Khamman, the situation had not warranted police firing,” Basu said. “Only some brickbats had been thrown. But, at Nandigram, the police were forced to open fire,” Basu said, quoting the Divisional Commissioner’s report that was filed after the Government ordered an administrative enquiry.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, meanwhile, called on Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi on Monday and requested him to arrange for compensation for the families of the 14 killed at Nandigram on March 14.

Banerjee said the Congress Government in Andhra Pradesh ordered a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of each of the six villagers shot dead by the police and also transferred the police chief of the district. It suspended the Additional Superintendent too.

“If the Congress Government in Andhra Pradesh can give compensation to those killed in police firing, why can’t the Left Front Government do so?” Banerjee said after meeting Gandhi.