West Bengal communists see red at Governor

Kolkata: Continuing its attack on West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi, the state's ruling communists on Sunday called him "partial" in his remarks on important political issues.

"I am not saying softly that he has not been impartial. I am clearly saying he (Gopalkrishna Gandhi) has been quite biased and passed one-sided comments several times on important political issues," Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) central committee member Shyamal Chakrabroty told reporters in Kolkata.

"Gandhi made no comment when many of our cadres were killed and hundreds driven out of their homes by Trinamool Congress, Maoists and Bhumi Uchched Pratirodh Committee (Anti-Land Acquisition Committee) activists during spiralling violence in Nandigram for more than a year," he said.

"Gandhi did not even condemn these violent acts carried out by the opposition parties," he said.

Two days ago, the state's ruling CPI-M headed Left Front had flayed the Governor for his hard-hitting statement on political violence in the state and asked him to "exhibit more apparent neutrality" while making public statements.

Gandhi on Thursday said the state was witnessing a "veritable tandava of political violence". In Hindu mythology, tandava is Lord Shiva's dance of destruction.

He asked political leaders cutting across party lines to identify violent people within their own organisations and leave them to be dealt with by the law and remarked that the problem continued "because, I believe, those who can act are not doing so."

Chakraborty said the Left Front government did not invite Gandhi to become the governor of the state. "So we really don't know whether his stint as the West Bengal governor would be extended further or not," he said.

The communists have had frequent run-ins with Gandhi over the past couple of years over his public statements on issues like Nandigram.

The CPI-M had also criticised the Governor's decision when he observed a symbolic one-hour power cut at the Raj Bhavan in the wake of frequent electricity disruptions in the state.