Terror can't be countered by terror: Buddha

"Terror cannot be countered by terror. It has to be tackled through organising mass movements," Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said at the two-day state committee meeting, which concluded on Monday.

His comments came on the day when Union Home Ministry team arrived in Kolkata to assess the law and order situation in the state following Trinamool Congress' demand.

Though Bhattacherjee did not refer to the Central team's visit, party general secretary Prakash Karat who attended the meeting criticised the Centre's decision of sending a team at the behest of Trinamool Congress.

"The law and order was a state subject and the Centre should not interfere in the affairs of the state," Karat told mediapersons. According to party insiders, Bhattacherjee, in his speech, tried to cheer up the partymen by saying all was not lost and there was still time to turn around after its electoral debacle, only if the party rose to the occasion and implement various government schemes.

In the meeting, Bhattacherjee, who recently ruled out chances of advancing the assembly election due in 2011, spoke of the need for strengthening the panchayat and the delivery system with all dedication.

The sources said the state committee meeting, of which there was no formal press briefing, discussed at length how to take on the Trinamool Congress after its defeat in successive elections.

The party's district leaders briefed the meeting on the extent of erosion of the party's support base and apathy among a section of party workers in taking up party programmes, sources said.