Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Vol. 5 Num 1055 Mon. May 21, 2007  
   
International


Violence erupts at Tata Motors plant


Violence erupted at the Tata Motors plant site in Singur on Sunday when police fired rubber bullets and teargas at Krishi Jami Rakhsha Committee activists when they hurled bombs and brickbats in a bid to enter the area.

IGP (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia said here that activists of the Committee, who gathered at Bajemelia for a "law violation" programme under the leadership of local Trinamool Congress MLA Rabindranath Bhattacharya and Committee convener Becharam Manna, tried to break a police cordon in a bid to proceed to the Tata Motors' site.

After jostling with police, the activists hurled bombs and brickbats in a bid to break the cordon. Serampore's sub-divisional police officer Kalyan Banerjee and a constable were injured in the brickbatting.

Police then fired two teargas shells and one rubber bullet and carried out a "mild" baton-charge to disperse the crowd, he said.

Kanojia said several arrests were made but did not immediately provide figures.

The Committee has been resisting the acquisition of farm land for the Tata Motors' small car project.