Calcutta, May 28: Trinamul MP Kabir Suman suspected a plot in the way the railways were being targeted ahead of Sunday’s Bengal civic polls and dubbed the Jnaneswari disaster “a sabotage meant to embarrass Mamata Banerjee”.

“The Government of India has not yet fixed the responsibility for today’s train accident. Only (Bengal chief minister) Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is shouting about Maoists’ involvement. How does he know? Conveniently, a couple of posters were found at the site. These days, anyone can design such posters at home,” the Jadavpur MP, who opposes the crackdown on the rebels, said tonight.

Speaking at his Baishnabghata home in Calcutta, the singer-MP recalled the days of his youth when police picked up youths, took them for a joyride in vans and released them — only to shoot them in the back and leave behind fake Naxalite leaflets.

Suman pointed out that Maoists had denied having caused today’s train crash. “This is an outfit which always claims responsibility, like they did after Dantewada, apologising for the death of civilians (by blowing up a bus) when their targets were special police officers.”

“Today’s incident looks too glaring to be convincing. It’s a sabotage meant to embarrass Mamata Banerjee,” Suman, who had almost quit as MP over differences with his party colleagues, said.

He saw a “pattern” in the happenings of the past 15-20 days. “A scheduled train suddenly switches platform (leading to stampede deaths at the New Delhi Station earlier this month), someone’s food is contaminated, bombs are found on tracks…. Today, fishplates were removed. This is how bandits used to storm trains in our youth.”

Describing himself as a Gandhian, he distanced himself from Maoists and condemned the violence. “But it is ridiculous to claim that only Maoists are violent. More than 100 people have died in South 24-Parganas in political violence since the Lok Sabha elections.”

He decried the lack of access to the state’s Maoist-dominated tribal belt. “Section 144 has been imposed. There is no healthcare, no toilet. The government’s armed forces kick them on the backside. The Naxalites live, eat and sleep with them. It’s a war going on. The only way out is negotiation.”