Total bandh in East and West Midnapore districts

Nandigram, Mar 16: Tension today prevailed in Nandigram with the Opposition-sponsored 12-hour statewide bandh to protest Wednesday's killing of 14 people bringing life in both East and West Midnapore districts to a standstill.

Police said the offices of the Block Development Officer of Moyna and Bhagabanpur were ransacked by AITC supporters following a clash between pro and anti-bandh supporters. The jeep belonging to BDO Moyna was damaged by the mob and thrown into a canal.

Tension ran high in Nandigram when supporters of Bhoomi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee started parading the streets with two bodies who were killed in police firing on Wednesday.

The bodies were later handed over to the relatives of the deceased after a post-mortem.

Most of the shops and markets, educational institutions in both the districts remained closed and no vehicles plied.

The West Midnapore district, known to be a CPI(M) bastion, also continued to be tense. Stones and brickbats were freely used by the CPI(M), and SUCI supporters on each other in front of the District Magistrate's office. Kirti De Baksi, the Zonal committee leader of CPI(M) was seriously injured.

Meanwhile, another clash took place between the CPI(M) and AITC activists in front of the Midnapore collectorate.

Police said as the District co-ordination committee members tried to enter the District Magistrate's West Midnapur Office, the Trinamool Congress supporters tried to prevent them and this led to a clash between them. They pelted stones at each other in which four AITC supporters were injured.

Social activist Anuradha Talwar was prevented from entering Reapara in Nandigram by armed CPM supporters this morning.

UNI