SUCI claims total success

Kolkata, Mar 16 (UNI) SUCI today alleged that more than 100 people were killed in the Nandigram firing and said they would observe martyr's day tomorrow as a mark of protest against the incident.

Hailing the people for the ''overwhelming'' success of today's bandh, SUCI Secretary Provash Ghosh said here today that 451 party supporters, including 137 women, were arrested, while about 140 others seriously injured during violence across the state.

The condition of 57 of them was stated to be critical and they were being treated in different hospitals, Mr Ghosh said.

He also thanked Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi for his bold step in criticising the alleged genocide in the strongest term.

He also reiterated his appeal to the major constituents of the Left Front to come out of the Front and join hands with them in raising a unified protest against the ''government-sponsored'' brutality, which he claimed was unprecedented in every sense and had even put to shame the infamous Jalianawalabagh massacre.

He also quoted unconfirmed reports and party sources to claim that many bodies were being recovered from different parts of the state and efforts were being made to count them.

He said the party had sent a five-member medical team to Nandigram to treat the injured and if necessary refer them to Calcutta hospital.

'' Our party MLA is touring the affected areas of Nandigram and Sonachura, '' he added.

He informed that two-minute silence would be observed tomorrow as a mark of respect to the departed souls and urged all the people to take part in the protest.

UNI