A serious strife broke out between the Centre and the state government after Union home minister P. Chidambaram said that inter-party clashes had increased in West Bengal in the past one year.
Reacting sharply to this, senior state Cabinet minister Subrata Mukherjee said the statement was made to intimidate the state government. Describing the statement unethical, Mr Mukherjee said Mr Chidambaram had no authority to make such a statement. He went so far as to allege that it betrayed the Congress-CPI(M) intent.
Speaking at a programme organised by the Calcutta Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, the Union home minister raised concern over the increase in the incidents of inter-party clashes which amounts to serious law and order problem.
“Eighty-two persons were killed and 101 injured in inter-party clashes in the state in last one year. It is not good for democracy. Inter-party clashes must come to an end and political parties should stop violence,” he said.
Reacting sharply to Mr Chidambaram’s statement, state panchayat and rural development minister Subrata Mukherjee said that it was unethical. “Why they did not say anything during CPI(M)’s attack in Nandigram? This statement has been made basically to intimidate the Trinamul Congress before the presidential poll. It is a conspiracy against the Trinamul Congress. He has no authority to make such a statement,” Mr Mukherjee charged.
Earlier in the day, while addressing a joint press conference with Union human resources development minister Kapil Sibal, Mr Chidambaram expressed confidence that UPA’s presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee would comfortably win the election.
On being asked whether Mr Mukherjee would win without Trinamul Congress support, he replied, “Don’t bring Trinamul Congress into it, but I will give you the answer. Pranab Mukherjee will win the presidential election with over 65 per cent of valid votes cast.”