The rally being organised by Trinamul Congress chief and Union railway minister Mamata Banerjee deep in the Maoists’ den at Lalgarh, West Bengal, on August 9 has become a major cause of concern for both the UPA government and the Congress.
While Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described the development as “unfortunate” during his meeting with a CPI(M) delegation on Friday, the Congress high command on Saturday asked AICC leader in charge of West Bengal Keshav Rao to stay away from the rally. When contacted, Mr Rao said he would be unable to attend the rally due to another meeting in Bengal.
What also upset the Congress was that while Ms Banerjee invited Mr Rao in Delhi, she chose to ignore the Congress state unit.
It is not merely the Maoists who have come out in open support of the rally. The PCPA, being backed by the insurgents, also pledged support to the railway minister’s Lalgarh show. PCPA chief Manoj Mahato is wanted by the police in at least 50 cases.
West Bengal DGP Bhupinder Singh, who met the special secretary (internal security), ministry of home affairs, in New Delhi on Friday, told this newspaper that “orders have been issued to arrest any wanted PCPA men participating in the rally”. While Ms Banerjee is set to proceed with her rally, the home ministry on Friday sanctioned one IR battalion comprising over 800 Naga jawans to be deployed in the Maoist-infested belt in Bengal. n Details: Page 2