The People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities, whose posters the police said were found at the site of Friday’s train derailment, has reportedly enjoyed the support and sympathy of the Trinamul Congress.
Though Union railway minister and Trinamul chief Mamata Banerjee blamed the Maoists, her outfit was on the streets last year describing the West Bengal government’s anti-Maoist operations as “state-sponsored terrorism”.
[Meanwhile, IGP S. Karpurakayastha told PTI that the PCPA had left two posters near the rail tracks “clearly owning responsibility”. PCPA spokesman Asit Mahato denied involvement.] It was learnt that the PCPA was formed by Chhatradhar Mahato, a former Trinamul Congress member. Mahato was arrested following his “active involvement” with Maoists at Lalgarh.
Last year, following a barrage of protests from intellectuals against the arrest of Mahato, Ms Banerjee had warned the Bengal government not to use any anti-terror law against the “intellectuals”. She was quoted as saying that “PCPA is not a banned organisation, there is nothing wrong in tribals seeking intellectuals’ help”.
The PCPA was formed in 2008 following a failed Maoist attack on Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhatta-charjee. Massive police action followed and the PCPA was formed by Mahato against alleged “police atrocities”. Ms Banerjee, sharing a dais with Mahato in Lalgarh, had addressed him as a “former party colleague” and stated that “even though he has left my party, I am all for his cause”. When contacted, a Trin-amul leader claimed she had never addressed any meeting with Mahato and that reports appearing during the time “were false”.