CPM files FIR against 51 Trinamool,BUPC workers

Nandigram, Aug 8 (UNI) The CPI(M) today lodged an FIR against 51 Trinamool Congress and BUPC workers, including two Trinamool MLAs, in connection with the murder of Niranjan Mandal, secretary of the party's Rajaramchak local committee.

Mandal was gunned down by unidentified miscreants on Wednesday at the Kendamari area near here.

Nandigram police station Officer In-charge Debashish Chakraborty said the names of Trinamool Congress MLAs Shishir Adhikary and Shubhendu Adhikary and BUPC leaders Abu Taher and Sheikh Sufiyan appeared in the FIR.

''This is for the first time that the police has received definite allegations which will help us in filing cases. We will conduct an investigation into the matter and proceed accordingly,'' the OC said.

''This is a politically motivated conspiracy against our party.

Some CPI(M) supporters, who crossed over to our party after we won the last Panchayat elections, are being harassed by CPI(M) cadres.

They are also trying to threaten our people by filing such FIRs,'' Mr Adhikary countered.

He also added that his party had not yet decided on participating in tomorrow's all-party meeting called by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in Tamluk.

''At the moment we are busy organising a public meeting to be addressed by our party supremo Mamata Banerjee at the Sutahata playground here tomorrow,'' Mr Adhikary said.

Yesterday, CPI(M) supporter Dulal Gadu was shot dead allegedly by Trinamool activists, while on Tuesday CPI(M)'s Sonachura local committee secretary Jaideb Pyke was critically injured when gunmen fired at him.

The Gokulnagar, Sonachura, Bhangabera and Adhikarypara areas witnessed widespread violence with exchange of fire and bombing among the rival parties even as a 24-hour Nandigram bandh paralysed life yesterday.

However, the situation in Nandigram was under control with no fresh incidents reported so far, the OC said.

UNI XC DPM PL RD 1438