Mamata again seeks joint forces out of Maoist-hit areas

KOLKATA - Apparently annoyed with the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee Tuesday said her party would continue to demand withdrawal of the joint security forces from West Bengal’s Maoist-affected districts.

A visibly angry Banerjee said she had repeatedly brought to the notice of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and West Bengal Governor M.K. Narayanan that the state’s ruling Communist Party of India-Marxists (CPI-M) was using the joint forces to set up camps to shelter party hooligans.

She alleged that the hooligans were unleashing terror in the three districts — Bankura, West Midnapore and Purulia.

“But not a single step was taken to dismantle the camps and withdraw the joint forces,” Banerjee said at her Kalighat residence in south Kolkata.

“We don’t want help from anyone, but we only want the support of the ‘Ma, Mati, Manus’ (mother, land and people),” she said.

Banerjee had coined the slogan ‘Ma, Mati, Manus’ last year and it struck a chord with the common people.

“The CPI-M goons are indulging in violence across the state. They continued their politics of killing even during the Durga Puja days (Oct 13-17),” she said.

“If the Centre can condemn the violence in Kashmir, Gujarat and Mumbai then why is it remaining mum on West Bengal,” she questioned.

The central minister alleged that the CPI-M was storing arms and ammunition in the name of making firecrackers in several districts.

The joint forces, comprising central paramilitary troopers and state armed policemen, have been conducting an operation in the state since July last year to flush out Maoists.

The Trinamool has repeatedly demanded the withdrawal of the forces claiming they were being used by the CPI-M to reclaim lost political ground.