Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat said on Saturday that any Central team could visit West Bengal but it should look at things impartially. He also said the demand for bringing the State under President’s rule through Article 356 went against the basic democratic principles.
In an informal interaction with journalists before the CPI(M) State secretariat meeting here, he said: “As far as we are concerned, everybody knows the situation in West Bengal and who is trying to destabilise the situation in the State. Let any Central team come, and if they look at the situation impartially, they will understand.”
He was responding to a question on Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee’s demand that a Central team be sent to West Bengal.
As for Ms. Banerjee’s persistent demand that the State be brought under President’s rule, Mr. Karat said: “Anybody who makes this demand knows that this goes against the basic democratic principles.” The Supreme Court had said “again and again that invoking Article 356 against an elected government is unconstitutional.”
Ms. Banerjee recently renewed her demand that a Central team visit West Bengal after the clashes that left one killed and six injured at Khanakul in Bardhaman district. She also said that she had spoken to Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram.
