Trinamool and Congress take out joint procession

Kolkata, Sep 27 (UNI) In a show of cementing unity against the ruling Left, the Trinamool Congress and Congress today took out a joint march in the city protesting against the police lathicharge at Singur and acqusition of farm land for the small car project of the Tatas.

Led by Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee, riding a car, Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi and other leaders of both the parties paraded at a two-km stretch from the Gandhi statue on Mayor Road to Esplanade metro station.

Holding placards reading 'Down with the autocratic Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee', the processionists, including Trinamool MLAs triggered a severe traffic snarl in the peak hours.

Former Pradesh Congress president Somen Mitra and PCC general secretary Manas Bhunia were among other Congress leaders, who participated in the procession.

On September 25, police lathicharged Trinamool demonstrators, who had gheraoed the Block Development Office at Singur in Hooghly district stalling distribution of compensation cheques among farmers, who had sold their land for setting up of the Tata project.

Altogether 30 people were injured and 70 arrested by police.

Ms Banerjee, who was bodily lifted from the site, alleged that she had been assaulted and dishonoured by police.

The Trinamool-Congress joint march came close on the heels of the electoral understanding both the parties struck for bypolls in three Lok Sabha and one Assembly seats in the state on September 16 and their avowed intention for a political realignment against the CPI(M)-led Left Front in the state.

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