Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee's rally at Lalgarh rocked Parliament on Tuesday with an aggressive BJP and the Left joining hands to target the Trinamool Congress and seeking to embarrass the Centre over the Railway Minister's alleged hobnobbing with Maoists.
"Why is the Prime Minister silent? Will the Centre continue operations against Maoists after the Railway Minister's statement that Operation Greenhunt will be stopped," BJP Deputy Leader Gopinath Munde said in Lok Sabha.
Dubbing as "shameful" Banerjee's making common cause with the extremists, he referred to her statement questioning the encounter death of Maoist leader Azad and dubbing it as murder.
"Will the Centre conduct a CBI probe into the death, which has been questioned," Munde asked.
CPI-M's Bansagopal Chowdhury also accused the Trinamool Congress with being hand-in-gloves with Maoists and asked the Centre to explain the presence of extremists in the Lalgarh rally.
Apparently embarrassed by the opposition onslaught, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in the Lok Sabha that the government would "ascertain the position from the Railway Minister" before saying anything.
In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley led the attack on the government saying "what we find today is that the principle of collective responsibility is being breached and there is a disagreement on the policy of the government" towards Maoists.
He said the prime minister on several occasions has termed the Maoists as the single largest threat to internal security and all ministers are expected to follow the government policy as collective responsibility.
Noting that the prime minister has been silent on various issues like Kashmir and Commonwealth Games, Jaitley said, "Silence at times can be a weapon of convenience, but conspiracy of silence cannot be allowed."
Making a strong defence of the Trinamool Congress chief, party leader in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay said Banerjee took the message of peace and harmony to the rally and added that she was "totally opposed to violence and killings."
"All political parties including the government should extend support to Banerjee so that the Maoist problem can be solved. She has given a new line, which can resolve the Naxal problem," he said.
Both Houses witnessed uproarious scenes over the issue and the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for an hour soon after it met for the day. The Upper House witnessed a walkout by BJP, which demanded a response from the prime minister on the issue.
On Monday, at a rally in the Maoist stronghold Lalgarh in West Bengal, Banerjee condemned "the manner" in which Maoist spokesperson Cherukiri Rajkumar, alias Azad, was "murdered" in Andhra Pradesh last month.
Criticising the killing of top Maoist leader Azad Andhra Pradesh's Adilabad district, Mamata had said, "What has happened was not correct. He was trying to begin the process of negotiations."
Making an emotional appeal, Mamata said, "You can abuse me if you want, but you should not kill anyone. For this tell me what you want? I am even prepared to give my life. Tell me what you want and stop killings and violence."
Alleging that it was CPI-M which was benefiting from terror, she said: "I am telling you with folded hands let there be no more politics of killings. I don't want politics over deaths."
Terming joint operations against Maoists as political advantage to the Marxists, Mamata claimed Left cadres wearing police and CRPF uniforms were perpetrating atrocities on villagers.
"I am not blaming the state and central police for this. The leaders are to be blamed for misguiding them and allowing the CPI-M cadre to unleash atrocities," she said.
