Kolkata, March 19
The police resorted to lathi charge and fired teargas shells on activists of a religious organisation, fighting against acquisition of farmland for the industry, after they broke barricades and attempted to march to Writers' Buildings, the West Bengal Secretariat, today.

Activists of the Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Hind brickbatted the RAF and the police after a rally at Dharmatolla to condemn the police firing at Nandigram on March 14 that left 14 dead and tried to march to Writers' Buildings, a short distance away, police sources said.

Six Jamiat activists were injured in the lathi charge and firing of three rounds of teargas, the sources said.

Three policemen were injured in the brickbatting, DCP (HQ) P. K. Chattopadhyay told PTI.

There was no arrest and situation was soon brought under control, he said.

The injured Jamiat members were admitted to the Medical College and Hospital, he said.

Soon after the police action, a large number of Jamiat activists retreated and demonstrated near the Metro cinema and Rani Rashmoni Road nearby stalling traffic.

West Bengal Jamiat general secretary Maulana Siddiqullah Chauhury claimed that at least 50 members were injured in the police action.

He said considering the high tension, he cancelled the organisation's law violation programme, but threatened to call a strike to protest "police highhandedness".

Chaudhuri alleged that the RAF and the police resorted to "unprovoked" lathi charge on his supporters who had taken out a "peaceful procession".

"Like Nandigram, the CPM cadres joined the police in attacking our supporters. Even the CPM cadres hurled brickbats on our people. But we exercised restraint so that the situation did not go out of control," he claimed.

The Jamiat leader squarely blamed Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee for the "police attack on peaceful" Jamiat rallyists.

He said the Jamiat leaders would meet this evening to review the situation and threatened to call a "strike" to protest the police action. — PTI