Fresh clashes in Nandigram, 7 injured

In a fresh spurt of violence in Nandigram, seven persons were reportedly injured in adjacent Khejuri area as Communist Party of India-Marxist and Trinamool Congress activists opened fire at each other on Monday night.

Trouble first began when two CPI-M supporters were reportedly thrashed with rods at Janka village in Khejuri area, a Marxist stronghold, following a minor altercation.

The news soon resulted in a fresh gunfight as crude bombs were also freely hurled injuring five Trinamool supporters.

Confirming the clash, a police officer said forces have gone to the area to quell the warring groups, but the situation is still very tense.

Local CPI-M leader Ashok Guriya said the two party supporters had been admitted to Kamardah Hospital with serious injuries.

Trinamool MLA Sisir Adhikary claimed five of his party men were injured as the CPI-M cadres hurled bombs and fired randomly at them. He accused the CPI-M of trying to scare away the Trinamool Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in the wake of its dismal performance in the recent Panchayat polls.

He also alleged that a Trinammol office was ransacked.

Earlier, the Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee (anti-land acquisition committee), consisting Trinamool and others, held a protest in front of the Nandigram police station demanding an immediate seizure of firearms from CPI-M cadres in the trouble-torn areas.

The BUPC also demanded the police to play an impartial role and to withdraw the "false" cases lodged against its leaders for the murder of CPI-M leader Niranjan Mondal on August 8.

The Officer-in-Charge of Nandigram police station Debasis Chakraborty told the BUPC leaders that the police can do its work only if they cooperate with the cops and allow them to enter the villages.

Trinamool Congress and CPI-M cadres had exchanged fire at many places in Nandigram on Sunday in which a TC activist suffered injuries.

Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya rejected the demand for redeployment of the Central Reserve Police Force in Nandigram at an all party meeting in Tamluk, which was boycotted by the Trinamool Congress, on Sunday.

Bhattacharya had said that the state police was competent enought to deal with the situation and had asked all parties to help the administration to restore peace in Nandigram, an appeal apparently not heeded by the warring sides.