Buddhadeb slams Chidambaram, Mamata Banerjee demands Buddhadeb's resignation

In an explosive retaliation to P Chidambaram’s letter bomb asking the West Bengal government to disarm CPM cadres camping in Jangalmahal, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has virtually called the Union home minister partial and ignorant.

In his strongly-worded but constitutionally apt one-page letter to Chidambaram, copies of which were made available to the media on Wednesday, the chief minister is highly critical of the use of the term ‘Harmad Vahini’.

“I strongly object to your using the word ‘harmad’ [hired killers] to mean CPM workers without knowing the meaning of the nasty word coined by Trinamool Congress,” Bhattacharjee says.
In his letter sent to the Union home ministry on Tuesday, the chief minister says Chidambaram’s assessment of the situation in West Bengal is surprising and far from impartial. “Trinamool Congress, which was earlier maintaining secret contacts with Maoist leaders and outfits, is now openly organising meetings with them,” he says.

Bhattacharjee also refutes Chidambaram’s claim that around 96 Trinamool members were killed in Jangalmahal in the past one year and says the number of CPM cadres killed by Maoists in the area was far more than that of Trinamool and Congress put
together.

“CPM and allies are trying their best to resist Maoists by mobilising people against them and in the process, they have lost more than 170 workers and leaders. Unfortunately, you are now blaming them for the present state of affairs. I am afraid it will divert the attention of all concerned who are struggling against Maoists, the greatest threat to our internal security,” he says.

According to statistics quoted by Bhattacharjee, 32 Trinamool members and only one Congressman have been killed in Jangalmahal in the period mentioned in Chidambaram’s letter.

On the alleged leak of the home minister’s letter, he says, “Kindly refer to your secret letter dated 21/22 December, 2010, which was published in the media before it reached my office on 27-12-2010 at 11am.”