'Central rule not possible without Cong. support'

By Our Special Correspondent

KOLKATA, JAN. 8. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) team said today that the BJP- led Central Government was not in a position to impose President's rule in West Bengal unless the Congress supported it.

The five-member team led by the BJP's Mr. Vijay Goel told a news conference here that it would recommend to the NDA convener, Mr. George Fernandes, the imposition of Article 356 in the State on the basis of its assessment of the law and order situation. ``West Bengal is a fit case for President's rule, but we know we would not be able to do so unless the Congress backs us in this regard,'' Mr. Goel said.

He and four others today visited Chotoangra village in Midnapore district where 18 persons were allegedly burnt to death on January 4.

The team, accompanied by the Trinamool MP, Mr. Sudip Bandopadhyay, displayed to the mediapersons what it said was ``evidences'' of the alleged killings.

If the CPI(M)-run State Government refused to conduct an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Centre should order a CBI investigation, it said.

The Centre was cautious about initiating any move to impose Central rule as its experience in Bihar was bitter.

According to the team members, the State Congress, which had supported the Trinamool's January 4 bandh and later visited the Chotoangra village, would do well to tell its president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, to back the Trinamool in its demand for Central rule. ``The Congress will now have to make its stand clear.'' The team was certain that many Trinamool supporters were killed and it quoted the Superintendent of Police as having confirmed the massacre.

The Chief Minister, Mr. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, maintained that there was still no evidence of any death.

According to Mr. Goel, about 50 CPI(M) activists attacked with weapons the house of Abdul Rahman Mondal where some Trinamool supporters had taken shelter. Later, they set the house on fire in which at least 11 persons were killed.

``Law and order in Bengal has collapsed. People are afraid to talk about it, as it's a State-sponsored terrorism,'' Mr. Goel said.

The CPI-ML (Liberation) provided a new twist to the controversy saying the CPI(M) activists had actually killed the supporters belonging to the People's War Group.

Basu's charge

Reacting to the NDA team's observation, the former Chief Minister, Mr. Jyoti Basu, said the Trinamool-BJP combine was making a fresh attempt to impose President' rule realising its prospects in the coming Assembly elections were poor.

The Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo, Ms. Mamata Banerjee's call to the State Congress to join forces with the Trinamool-BJP combine to forge an anti-communist front elicited a cautious response from the Congress.

Ms. Banerjee at a rally on Sunday said that she would expect the State Congress to be a part of the `mahajot' she hoped to form before the Assembly elections.

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