Mamata Banerjee issues veiled threat to Centre

Expressing frustration at the Centre for not heeding her call on alleged breakdown of law and order in West Bengal, key UPA ally Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today issued a veiled threat saying if this situation continues, her party "might have to go other way".

Alleging that the Centre had virtually turned a blind eye to the CPI(M)-led government unleashing 'military rule' by killing and gagging the voice of the opposition, Banerjee said "you (Centre) take care that it is not done with your support.

"If it is with your support, then tell us clearly and let the people know that it is being done with your knowledge. If that is so, we have nothing to fear. We will fight the way we had fought (alone) in Singur, Nandigram and Nanoor and won," she told a press conference.

"We are an ally. We have not taken undue advantage. We are going ahead with our call for 'ma, mati manush'. We are not at the mercy of anyone," Banerjee said.

Alleging that 2000 of her party workers were killed since the 2009 Lok Sabha elections and that there was total breakdown of law and order in the state, she said she had spoken to Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee during the day.

"I asked Pranabda whether military rule is going on in the state with the Centre's support? If not, the Centre should ask the state government to behave properly and send a message that it will not tolerate such things. There is no Emergency in the country."

Giving vent to her frustration she said "we have met the prime minister many times to apprise him of state-sponsored violence. Congress president Sonia Gandhi has been informed and we have met the Union Home minister 20 times. All documents and evidence are there," she said.

Stating that governor MK Narayan had also expressed his view on the situation, she said "but why is the state government being allowed to go scot free?"

Asked if she was mounting pressure on the Centre for imposing President's Rule in the state, Banerjee said "if I had that thought in my mind, I would have done it earlier. But if this situation continues, we might have to go the other way."

Referring to chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's call that there would either be Leftism or death, she said "is this not a violation of the Constitution?  Is it not the duty of the Centre to take care?

Claiming that CPI(M) was afraid of losing elections, she said "I challenge CPI(M) to hold early elections. We want elections tomorrow itself. Knowing that they will lose the elections, CPI(M) is hiring supari (contract) killers to eliminate the opposition."

She said, however, "we are democratic. We will win in the elections held under the Election Commission."

She urged the Election Commission to take proper care since the state had come under its jursidiction after December 11, six months before assembly election.