Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L K Advani will lead a National Democratic Alliance delegation to Nandigram on Saturday to make an on the spot assessment about the police firing in which 14 people were killed. Advani made the annoucement at a press conference in New Delhi on Thursday. The leaders would also meet President A P J Abdul Kalam once he is back in the capital.

George Fernandes, convenor of NDA, would be part of the delegation. "It will comprise of leaders of all the political parties of the NDA," Advani said. The decision to send NDA delegation was taken following rejection of parliamentary probe by the Communist Party of India-Marxist in both houses of Parliament.

Advani referred to the statement of Governor of West Bengal Gopal Krishna Gandhi who had expressed concern at the violence in Nandigram. Gandhi in his letter had asked probing questions and taken the state government to task for mishandling the situation.

"Was this spilling of human blood not avoidable? What is the public purpose served by the use of force that we have witnessed today," Gandhi had asked.

The BJP has demanded invoking of Article 355 of the Constitution to direct the state government to immediately stop the spiral of violence in Nandigram, rein in CPI-M cadre and police, and take all the steps necessary to restore law and order.

He demanded the safety and security of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee who has been hospitalised after a brick was thrown at her while she was on her way to Nandigram.

He recalled how an all party delegation headed by Sonia Gandhi had visited Gujarat. "An all party delegation headed by Chaudhary Devi Lal had gone to Jammu and Kashmir and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was part of the delegation," he said.

He advised the CPI-M party to change its mind set. He questioned the manner in which the CPI-M cadre threatened media persons if they dared to report objectively.

The party also demanded adequate compensation for the victims of police brutality. "We demand that central para-military forces be rushed to Nandigram and the neighbouring areas to restore sense of security among the people who are being terrorised by a politically partisan state police," Advani said.

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