Keshpur fever grips LF as Ministers draw swords

Keshpur fever grips LF as Ministers draw swords
SANTANU BANERJEE

CALCUTTA, JULY 23: The Keshpur fever seems to be spreading within the CPI(M)-led Left Front in West Bengal with Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) Minister Kshiti Goswami and Deputy Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya locking horns over their respective roles in the Panskura Lok Sabha constituency in Midnapore district. The district witnessed widespread violence during the recent elections.

Goswami criticised Bhattacharya's reported statement in the Assembly daring the Trinamool Congress to try its `Panskura line' in other parts of the state. Bhattacharya was reported to have told the MLAs in the Assembly that if Minister of State for Transport ``Sushanta Ghosh was killed by Trinamool activists, the party would give birth to more Sushantas''.

Lodging his protest over the remark, Goswami questioned the wisdom behind Bhattacharya's stand and advised him to ``restrain party cadre instead of inciting them''. The RSP leader said the parties involved in the political conflict, including the CPI(M), should refrain from provoking the people, and instead seek a political solution before violence spreads to other parts of the state.

While Goswami went to the extent of saying he was prepared to quit the ministry rather ``retract his words'', CPI(M) MLA Robin Deb said: ``He (Goswami) not only violated the LF code of conduct, but also may repeat the Jatin Chakraborty's case.'' Chakraborty, a RSP minister, went into political oblivion after he crossed swords with the CPI(M).

Reacting to the criticism by Goswami, state CPI(M) secretary and party's Politburo member Anil Biswas blamed the media for creating a rift within the Left Front. The group is meeting on August 3 to discuss the issue.

However, much damage has been done and the resentment has spilled to other Front constituents. The All India Forward Bloc has announced a ``non-political peace march'' in Midnapore, Bankura and Hooghly -- the three districts that saw widespread violence. ``We are not waging any battle against anyone in Keshpur; only common people are suffering because of this violence,'' party's state secretary Ashok Ghosh told reporters last week.

But apparently the Big Brother of the Left Front has objected to the peace march proposal, and when the Left Front meets on August 3, it is believed that the peace march and Goswami's criticism would be discussed in detail.

The incident has also exposed the rift between the LF partners. Speaking to The Indian Express on condition of anonymity, a senior LF minister said: ``Buddhadeb's statement in the Assembly lacked political wisdom, and for political sanity, we all must see that the rift between Goswami and the CPI(M) is not allowed to widen.''

However, political observers here believe that after an open invitation by Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandopadhyaya to Goswami to join the party, the latter has taken the issue too far, causing embarrassment to the CPI(M).