Nandigram back to normal; leaders make a beeline
Kolkata, Jan 9: Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya RanjanDasmunsi arrived here today on a visit to Nandigram in East Midnaporedistrict as police set up camps in four places of the strife-torn areawitnessing bloody violence over acquisition of land for SEZ.
BJP President Rajnath Singh said a five-member delegation of theparty MPs, led by Ms Sushma Swaraj, would visit Nandigram tomorrow totake stock of the situation.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance(NDA) would also take upthe issue for discussion at its meeting, Mr Singh said on his arrivalin Kolkata.
Mr Dasmunsi will visit Sonachura village, the scene of worstviolence that surged on Sunday last in which seven people were killed.He will also address a public meeting.
Police, so far kept at bay by the aggressive villagers, set upcamps at Hazra Kata, Tekhali Bazar, Basulichak and Sonachura as aresult of the agreement reached at the all-party meeting heldyesterday, DIG(Western Range) N Rameshbabu said.
Members of the Bhumi Uchched Protirodh Committee, resisting landacquisition and fighting a bloody battle with CPI(M) supporters, hadcut off the Nandigram area from the rest of the state by digging uproads, damaging bridges and putting up barricades with felled trees andboulders.
However, a second peace meeting, held at the Nandigram policestation, could not take place with the representatives of the Congressand Trinamool Congress staging a walkout, demanding release of theBhumi Uchched Protirodh Committe convenor from police custody.
The DIG said nothing untoward had been reported from the area sofar since yesterday when a section of villagers burnt down a CPI(M)office and fought with police, prompting them to open blank fire.
Meanwhile, the BJP president, who was in the city for a few hours,discussed the Nandigram issue with the party's state leaders beforeleaving for Asom. ''The party's delegation will submit a report onNandigram for discussions at the NDA meeting,'' he told reporters.
Social activist Medha Patkar would visit Singur tomorrow with agroup of associates as part of her programme to follow up with theanti-land acquisition campaign. Ms Patkar would also visit Nandigram onThursday.
UNI