Under fire over the Nandigram issue, West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, on Wednesday, in his first-ever public rally in the area, tried to project the image that he was the chief minister of the people of the state and not only of the Marxists.

At the very beginning of his speech, Bhattacharjee offered his condolences to all those who died in the violence. ??During the year-long violence, people from both the CPI(M) and the Opposition have died. They are all human beings. I offer my condolences to their families.??

Bhattacharjee, reiterating that the state government will not acquire land in Nandigram under any circumstances, questioned the necessity of the existence of the Opposition Trinamool Congress-backed Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee (BUPC). ??I ask members of the BUPC, since no eviction is going to take place, what is its necessity? Its better to dismantle it and, instead, set up peace committees,?? he said.

The chief minister, who announced a series of packages for the people, said the administration would pay compensation to all, irrespective of party affiliation. ??We will have to compensate all those who lost their property and other belongings. We sanctioned Rs 1 crore. Out of that, Rs 74 lakh has already been disbursed. I have told the district magistrate that he should distribute the money among all those who suffered. No party colour will be considered.??

The CM also exhorted his party men not to misbehave with the Opposition, but instead try to win their hearts. ??I want to tell my party men not to misbehave with those who are not with us. We have to win them back.??

The rally was organised at a paddy field at Tengua in Nandigram and attended by about 25,000 people. The crowd comprised mainly from the area. Very few came from places like Sonachura, Satengabari and Garchakraberia, places where the Trinamool Congress calls the shots. Others who addressed the rally included CPI(M) state committee secretary Biman Bose and MPs Md Salim and Lakshman Seth.

The CM also announced the formation of a committee headed by the principal secretary of the Sunderbans Development Affairs. It will chalk out plans for development in spheres like health, agriculture, communications and education, at Nandigram.

??The committee has already started working. I have told them that money will not be a problem,?? Bhattacharjee said.