The Congress, however, left it to Trinamool Congress to reply to chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's allegation that Mamata Banerjee's party is openly organizing meetings with Maoists.
Congress today saw nothing wrong in home minister P Chidambaram asking the West Bengal government to disarm CPI(M) cadres and accused the left party of "double speak" on the issue of tackling Maoists.
The party, however, left it to Trinamool Congress to reply to chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's allegation that Mamata Banerjee's party is openly organizing meetings with Maoists.
"Government of West Bengal is maintaining double standards on this issue. On the one hand, they oppose Salva Judum (armed tribals supported by state administration taking on Maoists) while on the other hand they are supporting CPI(M) cadres carrying arms in West Bengal," party Spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed told reporters at the AICC briefing.
He, however, refused to comment on chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee taking strong exception to the use of a word 'harmad' (hired killers) in the letter by the home minister, saying, "Only Chidambaram can reply to it."
"I strongly object to your using the word 'harmad' (hired killers) to mean CPI(M) party workers without knowing the meaning of the nasty word coined by Trinamool Congress," Bhattacharjee wrote in his strongly-worded reply to Chidambaram's letter yesterday.
Asked about the West Bengal chief minister's statement that Trinamool Congress had earlier a secret contact with Maoists and now they are openly organising meetings with them, Ahmed said, "Either Mamata Banerjee or her party spokesperson can reply to it."
Ahmed also sought to downplay reports of differences between the ministry of enviornment and forest and coal ministry on the issue of "no-go zones".
"I donot think there is any confusion," Ahmed said describing it as part of inter-ministerial consultations.
Ahmed also refused to react to questions on the alleged involvement of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister K Rosaiah in land scam saying it was a state specific issue he was not aware of and on which only the AICC in-charge for the state Veerappa Moily can respond.
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