Comrade Buddha regrets his bandh comment

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New Delhi, Aug 29 : A day after the strong censure by discipline-enforcing CPI(M), West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has fallen in line and accepted the party ruling that bandhs and hartals by the working class are virtually their fundamental right.

CPI(M) circles on Friday contended that the West Bengal chief minister had expressed regret about his controversial remarks that he did not support strikes which he had made during an interaction with industrialists in Kolkata. Politburo member Shyamal Chakraborty maintained that Bhattacharjee was taken to task immediately by the party. ‘‘The politburo publicly censored Bhattacharjee on Thursday for his comments against strikes. As per our party constitution, publicly censoring someone is a punishment and the party has given the punishment to him,’’ he said, adding ‘‘Bhattacharjee has accepted the punishment’’ .

He along with CPI(M) state secretary Biman Bose claimed in Kolkata that the ‘‘chapter is now closed’’ as he was publicly censured by the party top-brass. Party circles here however indicated that a meeting of the politburo, scheduled in next week, would discuss the matter even while contending that the politburo had not ‘‘punished’’ Bhattacharjee by issuing a public statement.

‘‘This is not for the first time that the chief minister is making such remarks. We have clarified the party stand,’’ a senior functionary of the party told FE indicating that the party will be taking some measures to ensure that Bhattacharjee will not deviate from ‘‘the party line.’’ Sources said the statement issued by the politburo was just a clarification from its part on the matter. As the issue was raised by a senior politburo member, only a meeting of the panel can decide disciplinary actions, they said.