CPI(M)men force inquiry committee against Lakshman Seth to

Party men demonstrated and forced a two-member party team sent to investigate graft charges against Lakshman Seth, the CPI(M)'s strongman in Haldia in East Midnapore district, to turn back today.
The angry party men disallowed a two-member committee set up by CPI(M) state control commission and led by state committee leader Rabin Deb, to enter the party office in Tamluk in East Midnapore district.
CPI(M) supporters close to Seth, gheraoed the car carrying Deb and others and shouted slogans against the party leadership and demanded that the investigation be withdrawn immediately.
Former technical education minister and CPI(M) leader Chankradhar Maikap was also heckled by party supporters after which Deb turned back.

Seth, against whom the state control commission of CPI(M) has initiated an investigation into allegations of corruption and anti-party activities, was chucked out of the Marxist party's state committee during the last party conference.
Seth had yesterday sent a letter to the party leadership expressing his desire to quit from all the party posts and the party.

"The party has deprived me. I am still thinking whether to resign or not. What I have done I have done for the party," he told reporters yesterday at Tamluk.
It was learnt that Seth was miffed at the party and had also expressed his anger at the leadership for not standing by him in his tough times.

The troubles of Seth, a former MP from Tamluk began over the sale of a medical and a dental college in Haldia to a corporate group. Seth used to call the shots at ICARE, the NGO that ran the colleges.