Chidambaram, during his visit to Lalgarh on Sunday, said he held a different perception compared to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee as far as law and order situation in the state was concerned. He also said that he was worried about the increasing number of political killings.

But this certainly did not impress Banerjee.

“Chidambaram should have used harsher words. Maybe he has said this under some compulsion. But the fact is that the volume of evidence that we have given him is enough to impose President’s rule in the state at least 10 times. What is going on in the state is a nightmare,” she said.

She alleged that the joint forces battling the Maoists “are in collusion with CPM goons and it is with their help that the CPM is gaining ground in Lalgarh”.

“Operation Green Hunt has become Operation Red Hunt because the forces (fighting Maoists) are now protecting CPM’s interests. That is why no real Maoist has been caught so far,” Banerjee said.

On Saturday, a joint delegation of the Congress and the Trinamool Congress met Chidambaram at Raj Bhavan and submitted to him a memorandum with details of the “reign of terror” allegedly unleashed by the CPM.