West Bengal Sports Minister Subhas Chakraborty todayruled out the possibility of his resignation over Wednesday's arrest of 16criminals reportedly harboured by him at the Salt Lake Yuvabharati Krirangan,saying that the arrested persons were not staying inside the stadium.
"Have the police said that those arrested werestaying inside the stadium? The SP (Howrah) said they were picked up fromvarious places. It is being said that arms had also been recovered from thestadium. But is the police saying this?" an agitated Chakraborty askednewsmen here.
When told the arrested persons had reportedly confessedto having worked for Chakraborty in the last assembly polls, the minister saidhe had seen their photograph published in a Bengali daily but could notrecognise any of them.
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"The CPI(M) is not such a party that it would need15-16 people to rig the polls. I have information that the arrested persons areTrinamool Congress cadres from Bally and Bantra (in Howrah district).
Alleging that the TC and a 'big' newspaper had createda controversy on the arrests to discredit him, he said that this was being doneto prove the newspaper's incorrect pre-poll prediction that Chakraborty wouldlose the elections.
Chakraborty, who returned from Delhi this morning, saidhe had already discussed the report over telephone yesterday with veteran CPI(M)leader Jyoti Basu. On his return from Delhi, he attended the weekly CPI(M)secretariat meeting where he also spoke with Chief Minister BuddhadevBhattacharjee and party state secretary Anil Biswas.
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Refusing to give details of the discussions, he said,"both the party and the CM are supporting me.
Commenting on the reported confession of those arrestedthat they had worked for him in the assembly polls, Chakraborty said thequestion did not arise as the Election Commission booked the youth hostel insidethe stadium one month prior to the polls. Even those carrying food for inmateswere not allowed inside without permission.
Asked whether the staff manning the hostel inside thestadium checked the antecedents of all borders, he said it was mandatory forboarders to enter their details at the time of occupation.
He said it was not possible for the three staff membersto verify the antecedents of all boarders of the 1,350-bed hostel. "I am amember of International Youth Hostel movement. It is not done anywhere in theworld." Chakraborty said police should have obtained permission from theauthorities concerned before entering the stadium.
"I can understand their entering withoutpermission if they were chasing hardcore terrorists. But this was an ordinarylaw and order affair," he said.
The minister said a section of police officials couldhave conspired in raiding the stadium and he had information that some policeofficials had used abusive language against him during the raids.
Recalling that earlier he had helped the police nabhardcore Khalistani criminals from the city, Chakraborty said he would havehelped them this time too had they spoken to him earlier.
He ruled out a departmental inquiry into the incident,saying the police were already conducting one.
