WB Govt demands CRPF deployment in Nandigram

KOLKATA: West Bengal government has demanded deployment of CRPF in Nandigram. Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee spoke to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil on the issue on Monday.

Earlier today, CPM and anti-acquisition BUPC activists exchanged fire in the trouble-torn Nandigram in East Midnapore district amidst reports of a gunshot injury to one person.

Police said there was exchange of fire between anti-acquisition Bhoomi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee (BUPC) and the CPM at Nandigram and Khejuri areas on Monday, a day after Trinamool Congress (TC) chief Mamata Banerjee alleged that her convoy was fired at from the direction of the CPM office at Sherkhan Chowk.

Normal life at Khejuri was affected in the 12-hour bandh called by CPM during the day to protest the death of its three members in a bomb blast on Sunday and against Banerjee's alleged bid to create law and order problem there.

Shops were closed and vehicular traffic came to a standstill at Khejuri due to the bandh, police said.

There was, however, not much impact of the bandh in the three blocks of Nandigram, a stronghold of TC-backed BUPC.

Banerjee stayed behind in East Midnapore after the alleged attack on her convoy and was camping at Tamluk, TC sources here said.

Nandigram witnessed renewed violence since Saturday which claimed four lives. Three CPI-M activists died in bomb blasts at a relief camp run by the party at Sherkhan Chowk in Khejuri area on Saturday night. The party claimed that they had died due to blasts after bombs were hurled by the BUPC.

BUPC, has on the other hand claimed that the three had died while making crude bombs.

Another person was killed in an exchange of fire by the two sides at Satengabari village on the border between Khejuri and Nandigram earlier that day.

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