"The content of the statement makes it clear that this is not the role expected from the office of Governor under the Constitution," party Politburo said in a statement, disapproving of the Governor's action.

It came a day after Gandhi termed as "unlawful and unacceptable" the recapture of villages in Nandigram describing the area as a "war zone". The Governor had also made it clear that "no government or society could allow a war zone to exist without immediate and effective action".

The CPI(M) said the Governor has been fully apprised of the reasons behind this "abnormal situation".

Though he was well within his Constitutional role to communicate his views to the state government and the Centre, the party, leading the Left Front Government, said "however, he has chosen to once again to go public with a statement which is uncalled for."

At the outset, the CPI(M) said the statement of the Governor was "surprising" as it was "well-known that from January 2007 there has been violence engineered in Nandigram and normal life disrupted."

It also recalled that for the past eight months, thousands have been "driven out" of their homes and the state administration "prevented from functioning" in the area.

The CPI-M statement said that the Governor has asked the administration to remove new unauthorised manmade blocks at the four entry point to Nandigram and not the dozens of trenches, bunkers and arsenal stockpiled by the opposition parties.

This would only help those determined to incite further violence by mobilising innocent people as a shield for gunmen, it said.

While sharing the concerns expressed by the Governor to restore normalcy, it said that the CPI-M wanted to assure the people that it was prepared to make any sacrifice and would lend wholehearted support to ensure peace, democracy and security in Nandigram and elsewhere in the state.

Later, replying to questions, Bose said that it was "very sad and painful" that the Governor went public with his statement on Nandigram instead of communicating his view to the government.

He alleged that Gandhi has failed to maintain neutrality when he described the return of the villagers to their homes in Nandigram as an attempt of "recapture" villages by the CPI-M.