New Delhi, Aug. 9: The CPM and the CPI have demanded action against the Congress leaders indicted by the Nanavati Commission after the government’s action taken report virtually rejected the panel’s recommendations.

“The ATR submitted by the government in all respects is unsatisfactory. It does not even treat the recommendations (of the Nanavati Commission) seriously,” said a CPM politburo statement.

“The CPM politburo demands that the government proceed against those persons named by the commission. It should also probe the involvement (of those) whose culpability has been indicated by the government.”

The commission has put Congress leaders Dharam Das Shastri, H.K.L. Bhagat, MP Sajjan Kumar and Union minister Jagdish Tytler in the dock.

“We want the government to proceed against those named by the commission,” said CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan.

The government in its ATR, however, has washed its hands of any responsibility for further action.

“We will put pressure on the government to take action,” Bardhan said. He met CPM general secretary Prakash Karat this evening to discuss strategies for the Bihar elections.

CPI leader D. Raja, present at the meeting, said: “The meeting was about Bihar. There was no discussion on the Nanavati report. Both our parties have issued separate statements. We will wait and see what the government does.”

Yesterday, the CPM was tongue-tied. Today, the Left parties broke their silence, made the right noises and seemed ready to wait for the government’s response. The government can make the Left’s situation less tricky if it drops Jagdish Tytler from the cabinet.

The Left is under pressure not to be seen as condoning the Congress’s culpability in the 1984 riots on the ground that the BJP has to be kept at bay. It also does not want to be seen as taking contradictory positions on the Gujarat violence and the Delhi killings.

“The government should also take action against the police officers who have been found guilty,” Bardhan said.

The ATR has ruled out any action on the ground that these 75 police officials have retired. It would suit the Left perfectly if the government amended the ATR so that it does not have to keep up the heat on the Centre.

“It is not enough to say that these officers have now retired. Retirement does not absolve any person of the crime of dereliction of duty,” said the CPI in a statement.

“We will not support the BJP’s adjournment motion. But we will create noise in the House,” said party MP Gurudas Dasgupta.