By IANS,
New Delhi: State-sponsored terrorism was a reality in West Bengal and central forces were killing innocent people rather than protecting them, Minister of State for Tourism Sultan Ahmed said Wednesday.
Ahmed was speaking at the protest organised by the Trinamool Congress and Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) at Jantar Mantar in central Delhi.
The protest was organised to coincide with West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s visit to the capital to discuss the issue of political violence in the poll-bound state with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P. Chidambaram.
The protesters shouted slogans like ‘Nandigram to Netai – we want justice from genocide’ and ‘No blood, no terrorism – we want peace, only peace’.
“They are using central forces to kill innocent people. They should protect local people and not cooperate with ‘Harmads vahinis’ (a term used to describe Communist Party of India-Marxist workers by their political opponents),” Ahmed old IANS.
Sultan said people were gathered here to demand restoration of democracy in the state.
“We are here to raise voice against genocide in West Bengal. There is a state-sponsored terrorism in the state,” Rajya Sabha member Mukula Rai said.
At least seven people were shot dead and 17 others were wounded near a Maoist hub in West Midnapore district Jan 7, prompting Chidambaram to summon Bhattacharjee to New Delhi.