WBPCC for all-party meet on political violence

WBPCC chief Pradip Bhattacherjee alleges that he is receiving several complaints of attacks by TMC men on Congress offices and workers

Accusing West Bengal government of failing to curb political violence, arrest deteriorating law and order and politicisation of the police to serve party interest, Congress on Wednesday urged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to convene an all-party meeting to thrash out a peace formula.

"We are concerned over deteriorating law and order situation and request the chief minister to call an all-party meeting to evolve a political consensus for ensuring peace," state Congress chief Pradip Bhattacherjee told a press conference here.

He alleged he was receiving several complaints of attacks by TMC men on Congress offices and workers in Burdwan, East Midnapore and West Midnapur districts.

He said party MLA and former state minister Manas Bhuniya was now holding protest in his constituency Sabang in West Midnapur district against attacks on party supporters there.

"We do not want law and order to collapse in West Bengal. But if force is used to attack the workers of other (parties), then there will be protests," he said.

Pointing out that the "job of the police is not to serve the ruling Trinamool Congress, but to act impartially, the Congress Rajya Sabha member from West Bengal observed that like in the previous Left Front regime, the police force was being politicised.

"There was an attempt to political polarisation in the police force which will create anarchy," Bhattacherjee claimed.

With both parties severing ties last year, he said some leaders of the TMC were trying to belittle the strength of Congress.

"But the fact remains that in the last by-election to three Assembly seats in West Bengal (in February this year) which saw Congress, TMC and Forward Bloc winning one seat each revealed that Congress got 30.96 per cent vote, TMC 30.43 per cent, Left Front got 31.90 per cent and BJP 4.91 per cent," he said.

He said his party was prepared to face panchayat election any time.

Another state Congress leader Abdul Mannan said that despite the Chief Minister's resolution to learn from mistakes, there was an unpleasant incident which saw a Left student leader chained to bed in a government hospital at Siliguri.