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Tata Motor's car project at Singur, West Bengal on track (Part VI)

Singur: Buddhadeb defends police action:

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee

The police would not sit idle if there was any attempt to prevent the State administration from functioning, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee told the Assembly here on Thursday.

Mr. Bhattacharjee was defending the police action to disperse Trinamool Congress demonstrators, led by Mamata Banerjee, who stalled the payment of compensation on September 25 to farmers whose land has been acquired for the car manufacturing unit to be set up by the Tata group at Singur in Hooghly district.

In protest, the Trinamool Congress called a Statewide bandh on October 9, for which the Congress extended support.

The Chief Minister urged the Trinamool Congress and the Congress not to harm the State's interests by forcing Government work to come to a standstill. The Government was trying to bring in automobile companies such as Ashok Leyland and Mahindra and Mahindra to set up units in West Bengal and the Opposition conduct would send the wrong signals to prospective investors.

Mr. Bhattacharjee said he was willing to discuss the State's plans for industrialisation with the Opposition.

"Time will not stand still. Let us take the opportunity to industrialise the State," Industry Minister Nirupom Sen added.

Trinamool Congress members took exception to the Chief Minister's remarks, and accused the State Government of using the police to suppress "a democratic movement."

Mr. Bhattacharjee said the movement was "far from democratic as it was aimed at stalling Government work."

The entire Opposition walked out of the House protesting the acquisition of land in Singur and the Chief Minister's "adamant" stand on the issue. Trinamool MLAs staged a demonstration in the Assembly lobby.

After the Opposition members returned to the House, there was an uproar when Trinamool MLAs stormed into the well, shredded business papers, and raised anti-Government slogans. They were protesting against the attack on farmers in Singur by supporters of the Democratic Youth Federation of India, the youth wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Compiled by Sukla