'One Sandeshkhali won't turn around women's perception of Mamata Banerjee in this state'
Seven persons were injured in a clash between Communist Party of India-Marxist and Trinamool Congress supporters at Simulkundu village in Nandigram on Saturday evening, the police said. Police rushed to the spot. Two persons, stated to be CPI-M supporters were arrested.
The Union Home Ministry on Monday sought a detailed report from West Bengal government on the first phase of panchayat polls, particularly the situation in Nandigram where CRPF and police reportedly clashed with CPI(M) cadres. "The Home Ministry has sought a detailed report from the state government," a Home Ministry spokesman said.
The Calcutta High Court on Friday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to continue the inquiry into March 14 Nandigram police firing and violence and submit a report within a month.
Violence returned to the volatile region of Nandigram as a woman was killed and two persons suffered injuries in a clash between two armed groups near Tekhali on Sunday. Both groups were armed with country-made guns and other weapons, the police said in Kolkata on Sunday. Police reinforcements have been sent to the area and the situation was now under control.
Five half-burnt bodies were found by police while digging at Khejuri near Nandigram on Wednesday.
Roadblocks have been put up at some places on the road from Nandigram to Hazra Kata and the police had to march in those stretches.
The Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee's core committee member Sabuj Pradhan told reporters the body was found while the group's members were digging up land under Bhangabera bridge.
The former deputy PM has requested that a Governor's report be asked for.
The alleged mastermind of the Nandigram violence of 2007, Lakshman Seth, arrested from a Mumbai guest house last Saturday, was produced on Tuesday in a court at Haldia which remanded him to three days' CID custody.
The 14 were in jail custody and their bail prayers were rejected twice earlier by additional chief judicial magistrate of Haldia.
Violence erupted again in Nandigram with villagers, protesting against land acquisition, fought pitched battles with police amidst reports that five persons were killed and scores others injured.
Locals -- more so in the area broadly called Nandigram lying across the minor Haldi River from Haldia -- fear a fresh round of land acquisition, as the state government pushes ahead with its petroleum, chemical and petrochemical investment region plans with Indian Oil Corporation and Calc Refinery Ltd as its anchor tenants. The PCPIR is one of the Left Front government's showcase projects in its efforts to accelerate growth in the state.
The Central Reserve Police Force on Monday moved into the interior villages of Garchakraberia and Tekhalibazar in troubled Nandigram shortly after their arrival following reports of fresh violence.
Bhattacharjee added that he regrets the March 14 police firing in Nandigram and said no government in a civilised country can send the police to kill people.
Eight supporters of the Communist Party of India-Marxist were arrested on Thursday from Tekhali Bazar in Nandigram as three companies of Central Reserve Police Force patrolled the area to maintain peace. A six-member team of the National Human Rights Commission is slated to visit the troubled area today to chalk out remedial measures. Meanwhile, district Congress secretary and BUPC member Milan Pradhan alleged that two supporters of the BUPC were beaten up by CPM supporters.
A Trinamool Congress legislator claimed the CRPF personnel exchanged gunfire with the CPI-M workers at Garchakraberia.
Gunfire, arson and looting allegedly by Communist Party of India-Marxist activists was reported from recaptured Bhumi Ucched Pratirod Committee strongholds of Garchakraberia, Sonachura and Gokulnagar in Nandigram, as the bandh called by the entire opposition paralysed normal life in West Bengal. Fresh violence broke out in Nandigram recently as the CPI-M and the Trinamool Congress cadre fight to gain control over the area.
Taking up a public interest litigation seeking CBI probe into the violence and death during CPI(M) recapture of Nandigram in November, the Calcutta High Court on Friday directed the West Bengal Government to file an affidavit giving its views on the issue within eight weeks.
The apex court dismissed the plea stating that the matter was being looked into by the National Human Rights Commission.
The state would have to provide free medical assistance to the residents of the affected area marred by sporadic violence.
In a first since last year's state elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday held a 'courtesy meeting' with Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari at her chamber in the state assembly, raising eyebrows in political circles.
Initiating a Short Duration Discussion on the proposal to set up a SEZ in Nandigram and consequent large-scale violence, senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said since directives to the state under Article 355 would not work, 'President's Rule should be imposed.'
Seeking to expedite the process, the front had also empowered all partners to initiate peace parleys on their own and talk to the Opposition.
Earlier on July 29, a CPI-M activist was killed during the clashes between the activists of the Trinamool Congress-led Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee and CPI (M) workers along the Nandigram-Khejuri border.
The second round of the crucial Front meeting also decided that the state government would be run strictly on the basis of policies decided at the LF meetings.
It directed the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government to file an affidavit detailing the circumstances under which the firing was ordered.
Trouble began in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha right from the word go as a determined Opposition demanded suspension of Question Hour and taking up of discussion on the issue.
A team of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday held on-spot inquiries in Sandeshkhali to ascertain facts about alleged sexual abuse by some Trinamool Congress leaders even as fresh agitation rocked the trouble-torn village, where locals torched the property of accused Trinamool leaders and held demonstrations against the delay in arresting the main accused, Shahjahan Sheikh.
Sukanta Majumdar, the state BJP president, said, "Amit Shah has set a target of 35 seats. We will achieve that".
Nine live bombs were seized from the house of a school teacher, a Communist Party of India-Marxist supporter, in the Marxist party's stronghold of Khejuri adjoining Nandigram on Tuesday evening, a senior Central Reserve Police Force official said.
The National Democratic Alliance and the Left Front have agreed to discuss the Nandigram issue in Parliament. The discussion will be held under rule 193 that does not entail voting.
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday submitted a report on its investigation into the March 14 police firing in Nandigram to the Calcutta High court.
Banerjee walked out after Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Subhas Chakraborty refused to accept the March 14 police firing as 'genocide'.
With the Communist Party of India-Marxist capturing some areas near Nandigram over the past few days, an eight-party anti-land acquisition organisation on Thursday said that the areas would be 'freed soon with people's help.' "Just wait. The areas captured by the CPI-M will be freed soon with help from the people," said Gana Unnayan O Jana Adhikar Sangram Samity president Maulana Siddiqulla Chowdhury.
Banerjee, who lost the election in Nandigram, has to win this bypoll to retain the chief minister's post.
CV Ananda Bose on Wednesday took oath as the new governor of West Bengal.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was injured when the helicopter in which she was flying made an emergency landing at the Sevoke air base near Siliguri in the northern part of the state due to bad weather on Tuesday afternoon, officials said.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday demanded the cancellation of the nomination of Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Suvendu Adhikari, who is pitted against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from Nandigram, as his name also 'seems to appear' in the electoral roll of Haldia constituency.
Protests were held in different parts of Kolkata, North 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Howrah, Birbhum, South 24 Parganas, Jalpaiguri districts, and Trinamool Congress supporters briefly blocked roads in some areas.
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