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Centre lacks will-power: Mukherjee

Rifat Jawaid in Calcutta

The West Bengal pradesh Congress committee has lashed out at the National Democratic Alliance government for 'misleading' people on the issue of imposing Article 356 in the state.

PCC chief Pranab Mukherjee told newsmen in Calcutta on Tuesday that the Centre lacked will-power in invoking President's rule in West Bengal.

Mukherjee felt that the Centre did not require Congress' support, as was being widely thought, to proclaim President's rule in the state.

"The Congress has absolutely no role. The situation is disturbed only in one district. So even if they invoke Article 356, they will not need to ratify it by both Houses. Two months are sufficient to restore peace in a few police stations of one district. We are unnecessarily being dragged into the controversy. What can we do if the Bharatiya Janata Party has its own compulsions in giving in to [Trinamul Congress chief] Mamata Banerjee's demands?" Mukherjee added.

PCC former working president Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi when asked forhis opinion on President's rule, said he had never gone against the party's official line.

"I know many people have raised eyebrows on my meeting with the prime minister and Banerjee. But it was just that she dropped in at my residence and requested me to accompany her to the PM's residence. I couldn't disappoint her. It should not be misconstrued as tacit support to her demand on invoking Article 356," Dasmunshi clarified.

Earlier, Mukherjee along with PCC functionaries, called on Chief Minister Jyoti Basu and urged him to speed up relief work. The delegation expressed dissatisfaction with measures taken by the government in tackling the floods.

The Left Front, after a special meeting, sought the help of all political parties, when the state was witnessing ''one of the worst natural calamities''.

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