Centre yet to take a decision on withdrawal of Central forces from WB: Chidambaram

NEW DELHI - Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Monday said the Central Government is yet to take a decision on Trinamool Congress demands for withdrawal of the Central paramilitary forces that are engaged in anti-Maoist operations in West Bengal.

“Yes, there is a demand or request from the Trinamool Congress that the Central government should withdraw the paramilitary forces from West Bengal. But no decision has been taken,” Chidambaram told reporters when asked about the demands made by the Trinamool Congress.

Trinamool Congress, which is the second largest constituent of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre, has been demanding that the joint forces be withdrawn from the state accusing them and the ruling Left Front cadres of ‘committing atrocities’ in the name of tackling Maoists.

Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has said her party would continue to demand withdrawal of the joint security forces from West Bengal’s Maoist-affected districts.

Talking to reporters in Kolkata, Banerjee said she had repeatedly brought to the notice of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and West Bengal Governor M.K. Narayanan that the State’s ruling Communist Party of India-Marxists (CPI-M) was using the joint forces to set up camps to shelter party hooligans.

Mamata Banerjee alleged that the CP-M was throwing to winds all norms of democracy and the Constitution so as to eliminate their opponents.

She alleged that in the garb of police personnel including those of paramilitary outfits like the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the CPM cadres were looting village after village, rendering hundreds of families homeless.

Commenting on the allegations, Chidambaram said he had asked the Director General of CRPF to look into the complaint and report back to him.

“I have asked the DG to look into the complaint that the Central paramilitary forces or CRPF is being misutilised in West Bengal.

That is a complaint. So, we will look into it when he will report,” said Chidambaram. (ANI)