New Delhi, June 01: Three days after a train derailment in West Bengal left 147 people dead, Union home minister P. Chidambaram on Monday said that the Maoists are suspected to be behind the incident.
Chidambaram also ended up rubbishing most assertions floated by his cabinet colleague and Union railway minister, Mamata Banerjee.
Chidambaram said the “ needle of suspicion” pointed to CPI ( Maoist) or one of their frontal organisations.
He said he has been told that there is no evidence of any explosion at the spot to derail the train and added it has been prima facie established that a portion of the track was breached and the panrole clips removed.
Chidambaram’s statement virtually contradicts Mamata on the specifics of the incident — she had blamed it on a “ political sabotage” by the CPM and had said that TNT and gelatin sticks were used in the explosion to derail the train.
Chidambaram had at first refrained from blaming the Maoists for the train accident, claiming it to be a “ sabotage”. But on Monday he confirmed that the Maoists were behind the incident.
“ On the first say, I did not have the full information… Today, I have the information that points the needle of suspicion to the CPI ( Maoist) or a front organisation of the CPI ( Maoist),” Chidambaram said.
His version, however, matches what the state government has been saying from Day One about the involvement of Maoists and specifically their frontal organisation, the People’s Committee against Police Atrocities.
The home minister said the Centre has asked the West Bengal government to give its opinion on the demand from the rail ministry for a CBI inquiry. “We expect the reply by (Monday) evening,” Chidambaram said.
But, in a move that has surprised the Centre, West Bengal home secretary Samar Ghosh has said the state is not keen on a CBI probe as the ongoing CID probe by the state police had progressed a great deal and a parallel inquiry was not necessary.
A home ministry source said that this was a volte-face by the West Bengal government whose top officials had earlier verbally conveyed to the MHA that they had no problems with the CBI stepping in.
The West Bengal government it appears has had a change of heart since Mamata is demanding a CBI probe. The CBI can only take up a case after the state government issues a notification for the same.
But a source said that since a central property (railways) was involved in this particular incident, the CBI can still take over the probe on the recommendation of the railway ministry even if the state government does not agree to the same.
The home ministry, which had written to West Bengal chief secretary Ardhendu Sen on Sunday seeking concurrence of the state government for a CBI probe, is now stuck on whether to go ahead with the state government’s decision or back Mamata’s demand.
However, the railway minister is likely to meet the PM to press for her demand for a CBI probe into the accident.
Ministry sources said Mamata is waiting for the preliminary report of the railway safety commissioner.
She has sent a letter to Chidambaram demanding a CBI probe. “ The railway minister will meet the PM to brief him about the content of the report. It’s a sabotage and there should be a thorough probe by central agencies,” a senior railway official said. Mamata is likely to attend the cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Chidambaram, meanwhile, parried questions on whether the Centre is planning to revisit its anti- Naxal strategy in the light of the increased Maoist violence.
“ I am told that a Cabinet Committee on Security ( CCS) meeting is being scheduled shortly. Whenever there are decisions taken by CCS, we will share if anything is required to be shared,” Chidambaram said.
Apart from the wrangling over CBI probe, questions are also being raised about why the National Investigation Agency ( NIA) is not being handed over the investigation when it has been exclusively created to probe terror crimes and the CPI ( Maoist) is a terror organisation under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
—Agencies