Learnt lessons from Netai incident: Buddhadeb

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Friday said the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) has learnt lessons from the Netai incident and added that this kind of incident should not have happened.

Nine people, including four women, were killed and 28 others were injured in clashes in January triggered by assailants allegedly backed by the ruling Marxists in Netai near Lalgarh in West Midnapore district.

"We have learnt some lessons from the Netai incident. This kind of incident should not have happened," said Bhattacharjee, who is also a CPM politburo member.

Bhattacharjee also gave a call to defeat the Trinamool Congress in the electoral battle as it would also mean trouncing the outlawed Maoists as both the parties are working in close coordination.

"If we defeat the TMC, that means we have defeated Maoists because both are working in close coordination in the Junglemahal area. The People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) and the Maoists are same and Trinamool is supporting them. The masses will defeat Trinamool as they all want to defeat Maoists," Bhattacharjee told media in Kolkata.

"I have heard that Maoists have asked the voters of the Junglemahal area not to vote. But I would request them to vote without fear. They are doing this in order to defeat us and help the Trinamool," said Bhattacharjee.

The Maoists-hit areas of Bankura, Purulia and West Midnapore districts are commonly known as the Junglemahal area. Bhattacharjee also rubbished the claims that the Maoist problem cropped up in the area due to underdevelopment of the area.

"It is not true that underdevelopment caused the problem. We distributed free land in the Junglemahal area. We have given the rights of land to adivasis living there for a long time. We have distributed 27,000 acres of land there," the chief minister said.

On former PCAPA convener Chattradhar Mahato contesting the polls from Jhargram, Bhattacharjee said: "They are all working in tandem with the Trinamool. Earlier also there were evidences when they worked together both organisationally and politically."

The chief minister also expressed his apprehensions that the central government would increase oil prices once the state assembly elections are over.

The fifth phase of West Bengal's assembly elections are to be held on Saturday.