Bombings and firing continue in Nandigram

Nandigram, May 2: The violence in Nandigram refused to die down as alleged Bhumi Uchayed Protirodh Committee members ransacked and set ablaze the CPI(M) party office at Sonachura last night.

Police today said frequent bombings and firing continued throughout the night. Several houses were also torched.

Some intellectuals were also heckled allegedly by CPI(M) workers yesterday when they were protesting against the Nandigram firing.

Home Secretary P R Roy recently said at a meeting that police had exercised maximum restraint during April 29 violence, in which one person was killed and ten were injured, at Nandigram to avoid a repeatation of the March 14 incident.

''The administration does not want that there should be a repeatation of the March 14 incident. That is why police acted in a restrained manner to control situation during the violence on April 29,'' he reiterated.

The meeting was convened by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to review the Nandigram violence.

In reply to a question, the Home Secretary said the Government would shortly call an all-party meeting to pave way for restoration of peace in the area even as the Trinamool Congress refused to participate.

The Trinamool Congress had all along maintained that the party would not take part in any all-party meeting unless the CPI(M) men stopped attacking Nandigram from outside.

After the March 14 incident, in which at least 14 people were killed in police firing, at least three all-party meetings were called by the East Midnapore district administration. But not a single meeting could take place because of non participation of the Trinamool Congress.

UNI