What happened at Lalgarh is not good: Buddhadeb

KOLKATA - West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Saturday condemned the killing of seven villagers in Lalgarh area and said that all political parties should restrain themselves from violence.

“We want peace in the state. What happened yesterday (Friday) at West Midnapore is not good. Many people died. Each and every political parties should restrain themselves from violence,” Bhattacharjee said while addressing a programme here.

At least seven people were shot dead and 17 wounded allegedly by Marxist-backed assailants near this Maoist hub in West Bengal Friday, prompting union Home Minister P.Chidambaram to summon the chief minister to New Delhi.

“If this violence spreads once then each and every work and development process will stop. We don’t want innocent people to be killed. Violence should stop,” said Bhattcharjee.

Amid allegations that the killers were sheltered in a camp set up by the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), which denied its involvement, Governor M.K. Narayanan called it a “day of sorrow and shame” and asked the state government “to act decisively”.

Narayanan in his press statement also said that he is “deeply disturbed, saddened and concerned” over the killing of so many persons in Lalgarh and had regretted that not even mothers and daughters have been spared, and called it a “day of sorrow and shame” for the state.