By IANS,
Kolkata : Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee would not be stopped from joining her party’s indefinite sit-in demonstration in Singur Sunday against land acquisition for Tata Motors there, a top West Bengal official said here Saturday, even as security around the factory site was strengthened.
“The Trinamool Congress chief will not be stopped on the way as she has promised to stage a peaceful demonstration in Singur. We hope she will keep her word and carry out her programme democratically,” West Bengal Home Secretary Ashok Mohon Chakraborty told reporters.
“We hope the process of dialogue, which was initiated between the state government and the Trinamool congress, would continue,” he added.
Chakraborty said the security at Tata Motor’s small car factory site in Singur in Hooghly district, about 40 km from here, had been increased in view of the Trinamool Congress agitation.
Tata Motors chairman Ratan Tata Friday said the plant, manufacturing the world’s cheapest car Nano, would be shifted out of West Bengal if the security of employees could not be assured.
West Bengal Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia told IANS: “We have deployed more police force at the factory site. Already there have been a large number of police in the area but the fresh deployment was made to combat any trouble during the Trinamool Congress’ political programme Sunday.”
He said the extra deployment of force was from the state’s armed police.
“Many senior officers of the state police will also be present at Singur,” Kanojia said.
According to police sources, the plant premises in Singur was barricaded with bamboo fencing. Police brought water cannons and teargas shells to disperse agitators, if necessary.
The Krishijami Jiban Jibika Raksha Committee, a body supported by the Trinamool Congress and fighting against the farmland acquisition for the project, has threatened to lay siege to the Tata Motors factory site till 400 acres of the 997.11 acres acquired for the project is returned to the original owners.
“The Trinamool Congress will not go into any sort of confrontation. So I would request everyone with me not to go into any violent act. We’ll carry out our programme peacefully and in a democratic manner,” Banerjee told a press conference at her south Kolkata residence Saturday.
“Our movement will continue till the demand is fulfilled,” she said.