New Delhi:
Left parties today approached the Election Commission demanding that West Bengal's borders with other states be sealed during the upcoming Assembly polls to ensure that Maoists do not trigger violence.
A six-member delegation led by CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury met the Election Commissioners and apprised them of their apprehension about Maoists' plan. Nilotpal Basu
(CPI-M), D Raja and Manohar Tirkey (CPI), Abani Roy (RSP) and Barun Mukherjee (Forward Bloc) were the other members.
"If you want a peaceful, free and fair election, then it is imperative that the state borders are sealed. The strategy of the Maoists is to strike and go back," Yechury told reporters here after meeting.
"Given the terrain on the bordering states like Jharkhand, Orissa and Bihar, it is imperative that the borders are sealed," he said, adding, they have asked the Commission to send a team to the state to study the violence allegedly perpetrated by "Trinamool-Maoist" combine.
"They come, they attack and kill and then escape to other states. It took 20 years to catch smuggler Veerappan.
He used to change his hideouts in three states. That is the advantage of forests. Unless there is a coordinated action, the problem cannot be solved," he said.
He claimed that 274 Left Front activists were killed by Trinamool-Maoist combine in the state in the recent years.
Yechury also said that the delegation asked the Election Commission to pay "special attention" in Darjeeling where, during the last elections, "90 per cent of the votes were polled in one direction".
Asked whether it was the failure of the state administration in containing Maoist violence in the state, he said the areas from where Maoist-Trinamool violence is reported is manned by joint security forces of the Centre and State.
A six-member delegation led by CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury met the Election Commissioners and apprised them of their apprehension about Maoists' plan. Nilotpal Basu
(CPI-M), D Raja and Manohar Tirkey (CPI), Abani Roy (RSP) and Barun Mukherjee (Forward Bloc) were the other members.
"If you want a peaceful, free and fair election, then it is imperative that the state borders are sealed. The strategy of the Maoists is to strike and go back," Yechury told reporters here after meeting.
"Given the terrain on the bordering states like Jharkhand, Orissa and Bihar, it is imperative that the borders are sealed," he said, adding, they have asked the Commission to send a team to the state to study the violence allegedly perpetrated by "Trinamool-Maoist" combine.
"They come, they attack and kill and then escape to other states. It took 20 years to catch smuggler Veerappan.
He used to change his hideouts in three states. That is the advantage of forests. Unless there is a coordinated action, the problem cannot be solved," he said.
He claimed that 274 Left Front activists were killed by Trinamool-Maoist combine in the state in the recent years.
Yechury also said that the delegation asked the Election Commission to pay "special attention" in Darjeeling where, during the last elections, "90 per cent of the votes were polled in one direction".
Asked whether it was the failure of the state administration in containing Maoist violence in the state, he said the areas from where Maoist-Trinamool violence is reported is manned by joint security forces of the Centre and State.
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