Winding up a day-long discussion on the issue in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said the directives were “on the lines of what Leader of the Opposition L K Advani had spoken of”.  Initiating the debate, Advani had earlier in the day asked the Centre to issue directives to the state government under Article 355 and dismiss it if it failed to follow them.

“We have given directives to the state government in writing that no one should be forced to leave his or her home. Everybody should be brought back and given full protection,” he said.

Participating in the debate, Advani reminded the Union Government its powers under Article 355.

“If these directions are not followed, then the Centre is fully justified in invoking Article 356 (imposing President's Rule) in the state,” the BJP leader, who had earlier this month, led an NDA delegation to Nandigram said. He also demanded that an all-party delegation be sent to the area to assess the situation. 

The left parties responded by blaming their detractors for fuelling the crisis and Maoists taking advantage of the situation in Nandigram. CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta described the incidents at Nandigram as ‘unfortunate” and ‘great human tragedy’ and conceded that the situation could have been tackled better.

Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha was disrupted and finally adjourned, following protests by BJP and Trinamool Congress members over alleged police firing in Kolkata on a procession unleashing a riot-like situation in the city.