CPI(M) was responsible for the West Bengal food riots in 2007.

There is no evidence to prove that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) was responsible for the 2007 West Bengal food riots.

There is no evidence to prove that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) was responsible for the 2007 West Bengal food riots.In 2007 India had a public distribution system (PDS) for food items like grains, pulse, etc. The government set up this system to distribute food and non-food items to the poor at subsidized rates. These items were sold at ration shops run mainly by mill owners who had total control over the supply chain. Between 2007-08 food prices increased, which encouraged the ration shop owners to sell good quality food items to the open market while selling poor quality to the less privileged. Due to the lack of food quality and increased prices, villagers around West Bengal rioted.

According to media reports, the riots started in in Burdwan, Bankura, and Birbhum districts. Reuters reported that incidents of violence against ration shop owners and dealers. During the riots, food grains were looted, ration shops were burnt down, and dealers were threatened. The report stated that the police fired shots at the rioters. These riots also lead three distributors to commit suicide. The police told Reuters that the rioters gave distributors an ultimatum to pay millions of rupees as a fine for diverting grain to regular markets at huge premiums.

The riots led to an inquiry with the Supreme Court, which revealed levels of corruption. The Supreme Court appointed commissioners on food security to survey the riots. Reuters report said that 10-15 percent of the poorest were getting some supplies in remote villages of West Bengal, in a state of 80 million people. According to the Times of India, the survey showed that "34.9 percent of rice and 86.6 percent of wheat meant for PDS got diverted. 83 percent of wheat and 60 percent of rice were stolen."

The ruling party in West Bengal in 2007 was the Communist Party of India (Marxist). According to a Financial Express report, there were allegations that the ration store dealers, distributors, and owners were supported by CPI(M). The allegations stated that CPI(M) and distributors took foodgrains from the PDS and sold them in the open market. CPI(M) blamed the opposition party for instigating these riots. According to a report by The Economic Times, CPI(M) did not acknowledge the riots. "There are no food riots in West Bengal although some elements who want a 'mahajot' are doing everything possible to incite violence on the issue of ration distribution so as to disrupt the entire system," the CPM Polit bureau said in a statement to The Economic Times.

According to an article on CPI(M) website, "since the Left Front came into office in 1977, foodgrains production in West Bengal has grown at the rate of 6 percent per annum, which is the highest among the seventeen most populous States of India." CPI(M) stated that it had made West Bengal a leading food producer in the country during its time in power. "While agriculture grew at less than 2% in India during the Tenth Plan period (2002-2007), the growth rate of agriculture in West Bengal has been over 3.5%."

Many media outlets have reported on this incident, but there is no evidence to verify that CPI(M) was involved in the riots. Neither the Supreme Court survey nor the government was able to prove that CPI(M) was directly associated to the riots.