The State Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Biman Bose, on Wednesday demanded an explanation from Prime Minster Manmohan Singh as to how Mamata Banerjee, a Minister of his Cabinet could hold a “joint rally” with “conspirators” of the Jnaneswari Express derailment of May 28, that claimed 150 lives.
Referring to Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram's statement made in the Rajya Sabha during the day, he said from Mr. Chidambaram's remarks “the people behind the acts of sabotage and creation of anarchy have been exposed.”
Mr. Chidambaram had reportedly informed the Rajya Sabha that the inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the derailment revealed that the railway track was damaged by the Police Santrash Birodhi Janasadharaner Committee (PSBJC), a frontal organisation of the Maoists.
Alleging that the PSBJC was responsible for mobilising people to attend Ms. Banerjee's August 9 rally at Lalgarh, Mr. Bose said: “The Prime Minister must explain how a Minister in his Cabinet could hold a meeting with those who, according to the Home Minister's statement, are connected with the sabotage of Jnaneswari Express.”
From the early stages of the investigation it had become clear that “the joint Army of the Trinamool Congress and the Maoists” was behind the sabotage, Mr. Bose said.
Diverting attention
However, Ms. Banerjee had, from the beginning, tried to pin the blame on others, he added.
“From the statement of the Home Minister, it has become clear why they were trying to divert attention.”
