TMC for Buddhadeb’s surrender before court in Netai carnage

Trinamool Congress on Sunday  demanded Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to surrender before the court after the CPI-M Politburo member admitted to complicity of his partymen in Netai killings, saying mere admission would not do.

‘It is now clear that Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was well aware of the incident in which nine villagers were killed.

‘Mere admission hardly matters. He should surrender before the court immediately taking full responsibility,’ state’s urban development minister Firhad Hakim demanded.

The incident, which had caused a nationwide furore, had taken place during the tenure of former West Bengal chief minister in January, 2011.

TMC All India general secretary Partha Chatterjee commented that Bhattacharjee had achieved a record in begging mercies.

‘This is not at all repentance. The admission is made keeping the forthcoming general election in mind,’ Chatterjee said and observed that a mere admission hardly reduces the gravity of a crime.

A leading TMC MP from East Midnapore district Subhendu Adhikari said that Buddhadeb's admission on Netai killings had no basis. ‘He is now frantically trying to restore the party’s vote bank before the Lok Sabha poll.’ 

Meanwhile, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Sunday admitted to the complicity of his partymen in the killing of nine villagers at Netai in January, 2011 during his tenure as chief minister of West Bengal, which had caused a nationwide outcry. 

‘Incidents like Netai are wrong. Our boys had done wrong at Netai,’ Bhattacharjee said, regretting the incident which had created an uproar, at a public rally organised by the Left Front here.

Nine villagers were killed in indiscriminate firing from a house owned by a local CPI(M) leader at Netai village in West Midnapore district on 7 January, 2011.