HC jumped the gun on Nandigram: CPM

KOLKATA: The Left’s retaliation strategy to counter the Nandigram backlash is fast coming to the fore. In a scathing attack on the Calcutta High Court on Saturday, Left Front chairman and CPM secretary Biman Bose said, “The high court’s decision to order a CBI inquiry just a day after the Nandigram incident was unusual and unprecedented and the court had clearly jumped the gun in doing so.”

Barely 48 hours before CBI’s sealed report is officially unveiled in Calcutta High Court, Mr Bose had launched into a no-holds barred attack on the judiciary. In a packed press conference following the party’s state committee meeting here on Saturday, Mr Bose felt there was a concerted effort by reactionary forces to topple the West Bengal government.

Drawing a parallel with the Congress’ attempt to topple the CPM government of EMS Namboodiripad in Kerala in 1957, the party secretary said: “The judiciary has undermined the democratic framework of the state by playing an unnecessarily proactive role. Judiciary, legislature and executive are the three pillars of democracy. If one pillar becomes proactive and attacks like some giant crab, democracy itself is at peril.”

Citing the a pending case before the Supreme Court on whether courts can order CBI inquiries without the consent of the concerned state governments, Mr Bose said: “When such a case is being heard in the uppermost court and the verdict is still pending, why wasn’t the West Bengal government consulted before the CBI probe was ordered?”

Be that as it may, his insinuations are being viewed by the Opposition as the CPM’s growing nervousness about the contents of the CBI report which has been filed with the high court. Both Trinamul and Congress leaders believe Mr Bose is trying to build a case for his party and his government before the Nandigram case is taken up by the Calcutta High Court on Monday.

The other view within the party fold is that a constant harping on the “conspiracy theory” by the Left Front chairman is also aimed at consolidating Left Front unity, which seems to have taken a body blow since the Nandigram carnage.

In an oblique reference to the CPI general secretary AB Bardhan’s scathing attack on the Nandigram carnage, Mr Bose said, “No incident should be taken in isolation and the unity between all the Left Front constituents has to be maintained at all cost. CPM comrades will take a leading role in dispelling all misgivings between the allies.”

Meanwhile, on whether CPM strongman and Tamluk MP Lakshman Seth had been ticked off at Saturday’s meeting, Bose said: “The entire situation leading to the Nandigram imbroglio was reviewed and a general stock taking has been done.”

Party insiders however told ET that an attempt was made by some members of the Kolkata and South 24 Parganas district committees to rake up the issue. But senior CPM leaders dissuaded them by saying that the matter would be dealt with separately at another forum. At this moment, securing Left unity was of primary importance.