Medha arrested, Trinamool organises protest on Singur issue

Kolkata, Dec 02 (UNI) Noted social activist Medha Patkar was today arrested along with several of her followers when she was trying to enter Singur violating prohibitory orders, adding a new dimension to the problem of land acquisition for the Tata Motors' proposed small car unit.

Offical sources here said Ms Patkar, who was prevented from entering Singur because of the promulgation of prohibitory orders there, was arrested when she tried to sit on a dharna on the National Highway near Beraberia village along with some of her followers protesting alleged police brutality in several villages surounding Singur. However, it was not yet known whether she was taken back to Kolkata or anywhere else following her arrest.

At least 32 people, including about 12 policemen, were injured in several rounds of clashes between them in several surrounding villages at Singur. Police also arrested 38 people on charge of attacking them.

After yesterday's lull, the law and order situation at Singur deteriorated suddenly when a large number of villagers assembled at the Tata Motors' proposed site and opposed the state administration's delimitation programme.

But soon a posse of police force, camping there for the past few days apprehending trouble, swung into action and raided all the neighbouring villages alleging armed attacks on them. A number of people, including some women, were injured in lathicharge by police, who also lobbed several rounds of teargas shells to ward off any protest.

Among others local Trinanmool Congress MLA Rabindranath Bhattacharya was taken into custody for violating prohibitory orders.

The alleged police lathicharge sparked more violence and soon Trinamool Congress workers along with their counterparts in the SUCI and the CPI(ML) organised protest march, dharnas and rallies in different parts of the state, including in the city, disruptring life to a great extent.

While Trinamool Congress workers allegedly set fire to a local train compartment at Hind Motor station near here, they obstructed rail tracks in several other places in both South and North Bengal.

In the city CPI(ML) supporters under the leadership of the party state general secretary Kartick Paul began a fast unto death in central Kolkata protesting alleged police attack on Singur farmers, while agitated AITC workers set up road blocks in several parts of the city and in neighbouring Howrah and Hooghly districts.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee, however, refused to admit any police brutality on innocent farmers, and said police had shown enough restraint despite being attacked by "armed" Trinamool workers.

He also reiterated the state government's determination to enable Tata Motors set up their proposed small car factory on the 998 acre of acquired land with an investment of Rs 1000 crore.

Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, campaing at Islampur in North Dinajpur district in support of her party candidate for the next week's byelection, instructed her party MLAs to go to Singur without further delay.

She also reportedly cut short her visit to North Bengal and was rushing back to Singur to intensify her agitation against the government's land acquisition programme.

The party and the SUCI jointly called a 24-hour Hooghly district bandh on Monday protesting alleged police brutality at Singur.

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