Kolkata, October 4
While the Tatas dismantled the Nano motor plant today, following Ratan Tata’s decision to pull out of Singur, CPI(M) and the Trinamool Congress cadres clashed at several places in and around Singur, holding each other responsible for the fate of the Nano car project.

The rival groups freely used firearms and lathis. Clashes were also reported in Kolkata and the adjoining North and South 24-Parganas.

At Singur, the CPI(M) declared a 12-hour bandh from 6 am which was forcibly withdrawn at 1 pm by local people lead by the Trinamool Congress, who said there could be no bandh during the puja festival.

All this happened as Tata Motors removed technical and engineering equipment and other valuables from the Singur plant under the protection of the police.

The CPI(M) and its allies have decided to launch a campaign soon after the festival
season against the opposition parties, particularly the Trinamool Congress, on the
Singur issue.

The Left Front blames Mamata Banerjee for the Tatas’ decision to move out.

A section in the CPI(M) as well as some front leaders, including Ashoke Ghose (Forward Bloc), Kshiti Goswami (RSP minister) and Monju Mojumdar (CPI) have criticised the Chief Minister for mishandling the situation.

Mamata Banerjee, in her usual style, attacked the Chief Minister for the crisis. She alleged the CM and Ratan Tata had colluded to defraud the poor farmers of Singur.

Mamata alleged that the CM had misued over Rs 200 crore of the WDIDC in acquiring the land at Singur for which he should be prosecuted in the court of law.

The 22 political parties fighting for the farmers demanded that farmland forcibly acquired at Singur for Tata Motors be returned to the owners with adequate compensation or they would launch a prolonged agitation at Singur and elsewhere.

State industries minister Nirupam Sen categorically turned down the demand. On the contrary, he said the government would now consider how best the land could be used for another industrial project.

The CPI(M-L) leader Dipankar Bhattacharjee demanded that the land be returned to the owners in the original form.

Otherwise, they would organise an agitation in front of various offices and outlets of the Tatas in Kolkata and elsewhere in the state.

The union minister for information and broadcasting, who is president of the WBPCC (l), also demanded that the land be returned to the owners.