Kolkata: Expressing frustration at the
Centre not heeding her call on alleged breakdown of law and
order in West Bengal, key UPA ally Trinamool Congress chief
Mamata Banerjee issued a veiled threat saying if this
situation continues, her party "might have to go other way".
Alleging that the Centre had virtually turned a blind
eye to the CPIM-led government unleashing `military rule` by
killing and gagging the voice of the opposition, Banerjee said
"you (Centre) take care that it is not done with your support.
"If it is with your support, then tell us clearly and
let the people know that it is being done with your knowledge.
If that is so, we have nothing to fear. We will fight the way
we had fought (alone) in Singur, Nandigram and Nanoor and
won," she told a press conference.
"We are an ally. We have not taken undue advantage. We
are going ahead with our call for `ma, mati manush`. We are
not at the mercy of anyone," Banerjee said.
Alleging that 2000 of her party workers were killed
since the 2009 Lok Sabha elections and that there was total
breakdown of law and order in the state, she said she had
spoken to Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee during the
day.
"I asked Pranabda whether military rule is going on in
the state with the Centre`s support? If not, the Centre should
ask the state government to behave properly and send a message
that it will not tolerate such things. There is no Emergency
in the country."
Giving vent to her frustration she said "we have met
the Prime Minister many times to apprise him of
state-sponsored violence. Congress president Sonia Gandhi has
been informed and we have met the Union Home minister 20
times. All documents and evidence are there," she said.
Stating that Governor M K Narayan had also expressed
his view on the situation, she said "but why is the state
government being allowed to go scot free?"
Asked if she was mounting pressure on the Centre for
imposing President`s Rule in the state, Banerjee said "if I
had that thought in my mind, I would have done it earlier. But
if this situation continues, we might have to go the other
way."
Referring to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee`s
call that there would either be Leftism or death, she said
"is this not a violation of the Constitution? Is it not the
duty of the Centre to take care?
Claiming that CPI(M) was afraid of losing elections,
she said "I challenge CPI(M) to hold early elections. We want
elections tomorrow itself. Knowing that they will lose the
elections, CPI(M) is hiring supari (contract) killers to
eliminate the opposition."
She said, however, "we are democratic. We will win in the
elections held under the Election Commission."
She urged the Election Commission to take proper care
since the state had come under its jursidiction after December
11, six months before assembly election.
PTI
