Mamata's threat to go on fast tomorrow

Kolkata, Dec 3 (UNI) Trinamool Congresss supremo Mamata Banerjee today threatened to go for an indefinite hunger strike from tomorrow demanding that "police atrocities" and acquisition of farm land in Singur be stopped.

"I will start an indefinite hunger strike tomorrow if the land acquistion and police torture are not stopped in 24 hours. Police and CPI(M) workers are committing atrocities on the people at Singur...even women are not spared," she told a press conference at her South Kolkata residence.

Urging the Centre to take "appropriate action", Ms Banerjee said she would seek a Singur visit by a Parliamentary team to expereince the pathetic condition of farmers at Singur.'' I fail to understand why the Centre is tightlipped on the whole situation.'' She said she would also request Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, who visited the West Bengal Assembly to witness the destruction of property by Trinamool MLAs, to go to Singur.

The Trinamool 'didi', who was in North Bengal yesterday in connection with a byelection campaign, tried to rush to Singur early this morning on her way back following the violence in which a section people hurled bombs and pelted stones and police lathicharged them during work for demarcation of the acquired land for the Tata Motors' small car project.

She was, however, intercepted by police before entering Singur where prohibitory orders had been clamped, and sent to Kolkata.

"Why were the highways barricaded by police? Has the government declared an emergency in the state? If so, then why there was no notification," she asked angrily.

The Trinamool leader also questioned the alleged police detention of 18 women including few minor girls at Singur. She said her party would intensify movement if the Government did not back out on the Singur issue.

UNI AKM-KDG PC DB2026