Brinda’s latest: Maoists used sea to reach Nandigram

Brinda’s latest: Maoists used sea to reach Nandigram

http://www.indianexpress.com/story/28031.html

Press Trust Of India

Posted online: Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Ranchi, April 10: Senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat today claimed that Maoists may have used a sea route to reach Nandigram and create trouble there. “The ultras might have used the sea route from somewhere in Bengal to reach Nandigram to create disturbances,” Politburo member Karat told a press conference here without giving any details.

She alleged the Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee, which was leading the protest against land acquisition there, was sheltering the Maoists who had supported it in an open letter. “The open letter is a serious issue. But we did not hear a single statement from the Trinamool Congress about it,” she said.

She alleged that Maoists hiding in Jharkhand often crossed the state border to commit crimes in neighbouring West Bengal.

Concrete steps through coordinated efforts are required to end the “serious” problem in Jharkhand, she said. “The state should have a policy on how to get over the problem and place its action plan before the Centre,” she said.

On “threat” letters issued by the Maoists to politicians, Karat said it was serious and called for immediate steps to address it.

The Maoists had reportedly issued separate letters to the Jharkhand Deputy Chief Minister, Sudhir Mahto, and state Congress president Pradeep Kumar Balmachu.