No situation in Bengal for Art 355: CM

The prevailing situation in West Bengal does not warrant invoking of Article 355 as demanded by the opposition, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee told the assembly today which witnessed noisy scenes over law and order situation in the state.

"There is no such situation in the state that the Centre has to invoke Article 355 here. They also know it. You try and convince the Centre," Bhattacharjee told Congress Legislature Party leader Manas Bhunia.

Bhunia demanded that the state be warned by the Centre under Article 355 during a discussion on an adjournment motion on deteriorating law and order moved by the opposition Trinamool Congress.

Reiterating that the TMC had direct links with Naxalites, Bhattacharjee said that for electoral gains the party had also joined hands with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha which was demanding division of the state. Bhattacharjee accused the Trinamool Congress of terror and violence and blaming the CPI(M) for it. “The people are watching everything.” Speaker H A Halim had to intervene during the heated exhanges between the treasury bench and Trinamool Congress members.

Bhattacharjee alleged that for electoral gains the TMC had joined hands with secessionist groups in North Bengal, including the GJM for the Rajgunj and Kalchini assembly by-elections. He said the situation in the state had to be seen in perspective. “I can’t say there will not be any killing, abduction in the state. But, we should not be complacent.” Replying to Bhunia’s allegation that fundamental rights were being affected, he admitted that this was taking place in some areas, “But we are trying to ensure that it does not happen.”