The operations against Naxalites in Lalgarh should stop immediately, said Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday, accusing the Communist Party of India (Marxist) of being the “real Maoist”.
Alleging that the CPI(M) is using the action in Lalgarh against the Maoists to reclaim its lost influence in West Midnapore district, Banerjee said the operations should cease and people must get relief from torture.
“The CPI(M) is the real Maoist in Bengal. For the past four months, people are being tortured there but no culprit has been arrested. It (the action) should be immediately stopped,” said Banerjee. “Only development can save Lalgarh.”
Banerjee said she would raise the Lalgarh issue at the Centre and her party colleagues Partha Chatterjee and Sudip Bandopadhyay would call on West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi and demand withdrawal of joint forces from the place.
“Everywhere the Left Front government is imposing Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code to prevent the Opposition from campaigning and interacting with local people. Such throttling of democratic voices will not be tolerated,” she said.
At the end of the core committee meeting of the Trinamool Congress, Banerjee said her organisation was planning agitations to protest against the politics of violence by the CPI(M).