Biman prevails upon Bloc chief to shift stance on Nandigram
Forward Bloc's observation that Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had ordered a police firing at Nandigram in 2007 has irked the CPIM, which insisted that the Bloc withdraw the statement entirely and issue a fresh one on the incident.
By Tamal Sengupta, ET Bureau |
KOLKATA: Forward Bloc's observation that West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had ordered a police firing at Nandigram in 2007 which claimed 14 lives, has irked the CPIM which on Wednesday insisted that the Bloc withdraw the statement entirely and issue a fresh one on the incident. It is learnt that Bloc chief Ashok Ghosh will issue another statement on Thursday to clear the air.
CPIM politburo member and the party���s state secretary Biman Bose met Ghosh before the Left Front���s meeting at Alimuddin Street and reportedly tried to check out the reasons which compelled Ghosh to hold the chief minister responsible for the police firing at Nandigram.
When asked to comment on his meeting with Ghosh, Mr Bose said, "I will not say anything on this issue. Ashokda himself will make a statement tomorrow." Mr Bose���s remarks clearly indicated that he had managed to convince Ghosh to alter his observations regarding involvement of the chief minister in the Nandigram police firing episode.
Mr Ghosh told reporters on Monday that "the chief minister told me in a Left Front meeting that it was he (chief minister) who had ordered a police firing at Nandigram on March 14, 2007. The chief minister also later admitted that he had made a mistake by ordering the firing."
Ghosh���s observation has certainly put the CPIM in an embarrassing situation prior to the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal as the opposition Trinamool Congress and Congress are using Nandigram and Singur episodes as a handle against the Front government. Bose had contradicted Ghosh on Monday itself.
A few hours after Ghosh made his statement on Monday, the CPIM politburo member refuted the veteran Bloc leader saying "As far as I know, no minister or secretary had ordered the firing at Nandigram. It was the police which ordered the firing."
There had been pressure on the CPIM state leadership from grassroot party workers who wanted the party top brass to take up the issue with Ghosh and seek clarification from the Bloc leader. Wednesday���s one-on-one talk was organised mainly to pacify the lower level CPIM workers in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.
CPIM politburo member and the party���s state secretary Biman Bose met Ghosh before the Left Front���s meeting at Alimuddin Street and reportedly tried to check out the reasons which compelled Ghosh to hold the chief minister responsible for the police firing at Nandigram.
When asked to comment on his meeting with Ghosh, Mr Bose said, "I will not say anything on this issue. Ashokda himself will make a statement tomorrow." Mr Bose���s remarks clearly indicated that he had managed to convince Ghosh to alter his observations regarding involvement of the chief minister in the Nandigram police firing episode.
Mr Ghosh told reporters on Monday that "the chief minister told me in a Left Front meeting that it was he (chief minister) who had ordered a police firing at Nandigram on March 14, 2007. The chief minister also later admitted that he had made a mistake by ordering the firing."
Ghosh���s observation has certainly put the CPIM in an embarrassing situation prior to the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal as the opposition Trinamool Congress and Congress are using Nandigram and Singur episodes as a handle against the Front government. Bose had contradicted Ghosh on Monday itself.
A few hours after Ghosh made his statement on Monday, the CPIM politburo member refuted the veteran Bloc leader saying "As far as I know, no minister or secretary had ordered the firing at Nandigram. It was the police which ordered the firing."
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Many in the CPIM have not taken kindly to Ghosh���s observation on Nandigram coming as it did prior to the Lok Sabha elections which is very crucial for the ruling Marxists as the two opposition parties in West Bengal are fighting them jointly. This cross-section of CPIM leaders feel that Ghosh���s observation will add fuel to the opposition���s endeavour to brand the Marxists as an anti-poor and anti-farmer political force just before the parliamentary elections.There had been pressure on the CPIM state leadership from grassroot party workers who wanted the party top brass to take up the issue with Ghosh and seek clarification from the Bloc leader. Wednesday���s one-on-one talk was organised mainly to pacify the lower level CPIM workers in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.
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