Trinamool calls another 48-hour bandh in West Bengal

Kolkata, Dec 18 (UNI) Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee today called a 48-hour statewide bandh from Thursday protesting against the unnatural death of a girl in the land earmarked for Tata project in Singur.

Ms Banerjee raised the political rhetoric even as she entered the 16th day of her hunger strike, by calling statewide bandh on December 21 and 22.

The Trinamool Congress suspended its day-long programmes today and called the death of the teenager as a burning example of CPI(M)'s ''reign of terror.'' ''I call the people to join us for the statewide 48-hour bandh.

The bandh is against CPI(M)'s reign of terror. I will see an end to it,'' she exhorted from the 'anashan manch' (hunger-strike podium).

''She has been killed by the CPI(M) goons. This is a result of CPI(M)'s vindictive policy. We will fight it to the end,'' she alleged.

A teenage girl's burnt body was today recovered from the areas earmarked for the Tata project in Singur in Hoogly district.

Tapashi Mallik, aged 18, was burnt alive in the land earmarked for the Tata project. The villagers alleged that she had gone to the field for completing to release herself when she was raped before being burnt alive.

The villagers claimed Tapashi, a resident of Bajeberia areas of Gopalnagar in Singur, was an active member of ''Krishi Jami Raksha Committee''.

Hoogly Police sources said after initial investigation it has been learnt that that girl died of burns.

Her body has been sent for post mortem. Police have no theories to her death till now. Nothing can be ascertained till the post mortem reports come, the sources said.

The city has been plagued by a series of Bandhs taking West Bengal on a total recall to the 'Bandh Raj' of the 70s. December itself has seen bandhs and strikes on Ist, 5th, 13th and 14th.

Ms Banerjee has been on a hunger strike protesting 'forcible' handover of farmland to the Tatas and has made it clear that she will not give up her agitation till the government stopped acquiring the land in the manner in which they are doing in Singur.

Several leaders including Lok Sabha Speaker Sombnath Chatterjee, former Prime Minister V P Singh, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Governopr G K Gandhi, veteran marxist leader Joyoti Basu and Left Front Chairman Biman Bose have urged her to give up her fast and sit for a dialogue but she lent a deaf ear to all appeals.

UNI KDG-BA JYN VD ND1828