CPI(M) asks Trinamool to stop violence in West Bengal

Condemns the heckling of Banerjee, says party will look into the incident

A day after the attack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by Left protestors, CPI(M) today asked Trinamool Congress to immediately stop the "widespread violence" against it across West Bengal while condemning the incident.

"The CPI(M) has disapproved and condemned this incident. The Party will look into how this has happened," the party Politburo said in a statement after it held a meeting to review the situation arising out of yesterday's protest at the Planning Commission building here during which state Finance Minister Amit Mitra was manhandled.

"However, on the pretext of this incident, widespread violence has been unleashed against the CPI(M) and the Left in West Bengal," the statement said.

The meeting was attended by Politburo members present in the capital, including General Secretary Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat, S R Pillai and Sitaram Yechury.

CPI(M) also condemned the attacks on CPI(M) and Left parties offices all across West Bengal.

"Many party offices have been destroyed and scores of party cadres and leaders have been injured in these attacks by TMC men," it said.

"The CPI(M) demands that the TMC leadership immediately put a stop to these attacks. The state government should take immediate steps to ensure that peace is maintained," the statement said.

It demanded a judicial probe into the death of Sudipto Gupta, a leader of SFI, the student wing of CPI (M), in Kolkata on April 2 be ordered without delay. SFI has alleged that 22-year-old Gupta died after he was beaten up by the police which has maintained that he was killed in an accident.