Buddhadeb defends 'Nandigram takeover'

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya is still defending the violent take over of Nandigram by the CPM.

On Tuesday, justifying the bloodshed he said those controlling Nandigram were paid back in their own coin.

Today while sticking to his stand, Bhattacharya said he spoke as a party leader and not as the chief minister of West Bengal.

Thousands of people protested on the streets of Kolkata against the violence in Nandigram and Buddhadeb's defiance.

''I stick to that. Some people are trying to project that the violence was started by CPI-M workers. Last 11 months, the Bhoomi Uchched Pratirodh Committee, the Trinamool Congress and the Maoists were creating violence with arms. And last two-three days, CPI-M workers had paid them back in their own coin,'' said Bhattacharya.

There were qualifiers that he is speaking as a CPI-M party leader and not as a chief minister. But after the widespread condemnation of yesterday's statement, no one was listening.

The silence of the masses led by artists and intellectuals is breaking out into a roar against the manner in which the government has handled Nandigram.

Not only Kolkata's intelligentsia, Buddhadeb's own Left Front partners took him to task for his attempt to justify the eye for an eye policy in Nandigram.

Meanwhile, the state government has allotted Rs one crore for relief and resettlement of those returning home.

Supporting CPI(M) state secretary Biman Bose's statement that there was a ''new dawn'' in Nandigram following the ''recapture'', Bhattacharjee said the government has allocated Rs one crore from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for relief and rehabilitation.

''The fund is being sent to the (East Midnapore) District Magistrate. From this, Rs 1,000 would be given to the returning families for reconstruction of fully-damaged houses and Rs 500 for partially damaged ones. Each family would be given another Rs 1,000 for buying utensils,'' he said.

He added that the funds would be given to the affected families irrespective of their political affiliation. (With PTI Inputs)

Nandigram likely to create storm in Parliament

NEW DELHI: Nandigram issue is expected to generate enough heat in the winter session of Parliament beginning on Thursday turning the brief sitting into a stormy affair while the Indo-US nuclear deal will come up for discussion in the midst of an apparent thaw between the UPA and the Left allies.

"Whenever Nandigram will be raised, it will create a storm," a senior minister admitted on Wednesday as opposition BJP as also Trinamool Congress have given hints to leave no stone unturned to corner the Marxists heading the Left-front government in West Bengal.

It could be trouble from the word go as BJP has given a notice seeking suspension of the Question Hour on November 16, the first working day of the session on the Nandigram issue demanding an immediate discussion in the matter.

The main opposition has also identified nuclear deal, Ram Setu, FDI in retail, terrorists influence in capital market and minimum support price for paddy for raising during the session that would conclude on December seven.

The all party meeting convened by Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee today gave indications that the session would not be a smooth affair given the range of issues that were expected to be raised by various political parties.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister P R Dasmunsi said that the government was ready for an early discussion on the nuclear deal but the earliest it could be held was on November 19 and 20.

Both Houses are expected to be adjourned on the opening day tomorrow after paying obituary to Vijay Khandelwal in Lok Sabha and Jana Krishnamurthy in Rajya Sabha who died during the inter-session period.