Buddhadeb defends police action at Nandigram

Kolkata, Mar 15 (UNI) Amid a walk-out by the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today defended yesterday's police action in Nandigram but promised that land would not be acquired there for the proposed chemical hub.

Making a statement on the incident in which 14 people were killed, the Chief Minister said the Government needed to establish rule of the law in Nandigram and police were compelled to fire.

'' For two-and-a-half months the administration was non-existent in Nandigram. It cannot be allowed that there will be no rule of the law in a vast area. Police were sent to Nandigram not to acquire land, but to activate the administration, '' he said.

Being unable to allow the situation continue for long, the Government decided to send police in the area. '' We expected that the 'Bhoomi Uchched Protirodh Committee' would accept this decision, '' he said.

As soon as the Chief Minister was asked by Speaker Hashim Abdul Halim to make the statement, members of the Opposition Trinamool Congress and Congress, who kept shouting and banging tables throughout the question hour, walked out from the House.

Regretting the loss of lives, Mr Bhattacharjee said police had no option but to open fire when teargas shells and rubber bullets failed to quell the villagers.

''I express my grief for those killed in Nandigram. Any death is regrettable. This incident was unwarranted and should not have happened,'' he said.

He informed the House that so far 14 people had been killed and 71, including 42 policemen, injured in clashes.

''The situation in Nandigram is now under control and no fresh untoward incident was reported today, '' he said.

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