By IANS
Kolkata : Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee Tuesday reacted sharply to West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya’s regret over his controversial remarks on the Nandigram violence by describing him as an “incorrigible sinner”.
“What can you say about a person who knowingly commits mistakes and regrets his actions later? He is an incorrigible sinner and it is unfortunate that innocent people have to pay a price for his sins,” Banerjee said.
“So many people have been killed in Nandigram, their houses looted and destroyed… So many women were tortured and brutalised… What was he doing then?” she asked
“Bhattacharya will again let his cadres loose on these innocent people and regret his actions later. He may shed crocodile tears, but that won’t wash away his sins,” she added.
Earlier in the day, Bhattacharya in New Delhi said he regretted his remarks that Nandigram villagers allegedly targeted by his Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) party cadres were “paid back in their own coin”.
“I had said the people have been paid back in the same coin. I should not have said it. I want peace now,” he said.
He also admitted that the violence in Nandigram, which had drawn criticism from civil society and rights groups, was a “political and administrative failure”.