M A I N   N E W S

NDA for action in W. Bengal
SAD, INLD boycott meeting
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Sept 23 — The NDA partners today authorised the Union Government to take “whatever steps it deems necessary” to cope with the law and order situation in West Bengal, which has seen Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu at loggerheads.

“The NDA requests the Union Government to take whatever steps it deems necessary to prevent the destruction of democratic institutions in West Bengal,” a resolution adopted unanimously at the NDA’s Coordination Committee meeting here said.

Briefing newsmen soon after the meeting, NDA Convener and Defence Minister Mr George Fernandes said the NDA members while expressing their anguish at the violence perpetrated by the CPM cadres in West Bengal unanimously passed a resolution authorising the Centre to take whatever steps it deemed necessary.

“The NDA expresses its anguish at the violence perpetrated by the CPM cadres in West Bengal on the people who have voted for the NDA (Trinamool and BJP) candidates in the recently concluded Panchayat elections and in the bye-election in the Panskura Lok Sabha constituency, in which the CPM has suffered major reverses,” the one-page resolution read.

“The violence gets manifested through killing and maiming of the leaders and activists and even supporters of the Trinamool Congress and the BJP, gang-raping of women, looting and burning of houses, and other depredations, culminating in what is termed by the CPM as the “capture” of villages inhabited by those who are opposed to the CPM,” it said.

“It is obvious that these acts of violence are designed to terrorise the people and break their will in view of the impending elections to the State Assembly in West Bengal,” it said calling upon the West Bengal Government and the CPM to end the violence unleashed on the people and take steps to restore peace and normalcy.

The Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader, Mr L.K. Advani, also presented his view point on the issue and condemned the “intemperate” language used by the West Bengal Chief Minister against the Trinamool chief, Mr Fernandes said.

The NDA Coordination Committee also discussed on the flood situations in various states, including Himachal Pradesh, on the unprecedented rise in international oil price and paid homage to Mr P R Kumaramangalam, who died recently.

The meeting was not attended by representatives of the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Indian National Lok Dal.