The battle of nerves over Singur is now at its peak.
KOLKATA: The battle of nerves over Singur is now at its peak. While signals are clear that Trinamool Congress agitators are losing patience and moving towards creating violence, the administration is totally disinclined to take any strict measures to rein them in, apprehending any such move will help the agitators gain political mileage.
Mamata Banerjee’s assurance of a total non-violent agitation was publicly breached for the first time on Wednesday morning by her own followers after they beat up some contract workers employed with the Tata Motors’ Nano factory there.
According to the Singur SDPO Kalyan Mukherjee, five contract workers were stopped by Trinamool supporters on Wednesday at around 7.30 am while they were approaching the factory fate. “First these contract workers were asked not join work.
When they refused they were beaten up by the Trinamool supporters. One of them managed to escape and inform us. We are investigating the matter,” Mukherjee said.
At the same time, agitators on Wednesday blocked both the up and down lanes of the adjacent Durgapur Expressway, thus bringing vehicle movement to a total halt on the road. As a result, thousands of trucks carrying essential and perishable commodities were stranded on both sides of the expressway.
The West Bengal Truckers’ Association on Wednesday threatened to go on a two-day strike if trucks were not allowed to move freely through Durgapur Expressway. An association spokesman said they have personally requested Mamata that her followers clear at least one lane of the expressway. “But since nothing has happened we will have to go on strike,” he said.
State home secretary Ashoke Mohan Chakrabarty said here on Wednesday that the state government will not apply force to clear the expressway. “We will try to settle the problem through discussions,” he reiterated.
r_sumanta@dnaindia.net
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}