Fresh clashes in Singur: 40 injured; 1000 held

Kolkata, January 28
Violence erupted again at Singur and several other adjoining places today when the police and Trinamool Congress workers and supporters were involved in pitched battles at least at four entry points over the construction of the Tata Motors plant on the farm land forcibly acquired by the state government.

The police fired several rounds of bullets in the air, burst tear gas shells and used water cannons to disperse the angry mob attacking the police pickets.

At least 1,000 persons, including the farmers affected and members of their family, were arrested.

In the clashes, at least 40 persons, including workers and supporters of the Trinamool Congress, were injured.

The angry party workers burnt the pillars at several points of the boundary walls of Tata Motors site at Singur.

The Tata Motors showroom on the National Highway 2, near Jaypur, was attacked, smashed and set on fire.

CPI(M) secretary Biman Bose yesterday led a procession towards Nandigram, but the procession could not enter the farmers’ protected zone.

Mr Bose tried to arouse public opinion in support of the decision to acquire farm land for Tata Motors, Indonesia’s Salim group of industries and others.

Ms Mamata Banerjee declared that the agitation would continue till the farmers evicted were not returned their farm land at Singur.

Terming chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee a liar and an arrogant fascist, Mr Banerjee called upon partners of the Left Front like the CPI, the RSP and the Forward Bloc, which had been opposing the chief minister’s land acquisition policy for industries, to come out of the front and join the poor farmers in their rightful struggle.

She asked her party workers and members and supporters of the Krishi Bachao Committee to observe a black day tomorrow in protest against police excesses on their peaceful processions and demonstrations today.

According to reports reaching the Writers Building, a large number of Trinamool Congress workers and supporters, who were marching towards Singur today from several directions, were forcibly obstructed by paramilitary forces and the state police, posted at the entry points.

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