Chidambaram summons Buddhadeb to Delhi ‘immediately’
By IANSFriday, January 7, 2011
NEW DELHI - Home Minister P. Chidambaram Friday summoned West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to Delhi “immediately” in the wake of the “grave incident” of seven deaths in fresh political violence in the Maoist hub of Lalgarh.
“I have written a letter to the chief minister and drawn his attention to this grave incident and requested him to kindly reschedule all his appointments and visit Delhi as early as possible,” Chidambaram told reporters here.
Friday’s violence also left 12 people wounded, sparking allegations that the killers were sheltered in a camp set up by the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M). The Marxists have denied any involvement.
The home minister said he had not spoken to the chief minister following the violence but officials in the ministry were in regular touch with the state government.
The fresh violence occurred as Chidambaram and Bhattacharjee exchanged a series of letters on political killings in the election bound state.
In an earlier letter, the home minister had called Bhattacharjee to Delhi for a discussion on the political violence. Chidambaram had also asserted that the state government should disarm and demobilise the “armed cadres”.
But the chief minister had replied that he wasn’t able to visit Delhi even as he expressed his willingness to have a discussion with Chidambaram.
“I will try to go to Delhi as early as possible to meet you and discuss all related issues,” Bhattacharjee had said in reply to earlier letters.
