By IANS,
Kolkata: The pro-Maoist Peoples’ Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) Friday confirmed its participation in the Aug 9 Lalgarh meeting to be addressed by Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee but warned of stiff resistance if attempts were made to arrest its members “without a warrant”.
“If the police dare to arrest our party supporters without any arrest warrant, we will defy the police and put up resistance,” PCAPA secretary Manoj Mahato said.
The PCAPA statement came a day after state Director General of Police Bhupinder Singh said that members of the pro-Maoist group against whom there are charges of unlawful activity will be arrested if they are sighted at the venue.
“In that case the police will have to face a stiff challenge from us and we will also gherao (surround) the police,” said Mahato.
He also demanded that the police ensure that the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) supporters dismantle their party camps from the Lalgarh belt by Aug 9.
“If any camp office was found functioning in the area August 9, our party supporters will either torch or damage it,” said Mahato.
He further demanded that police officers like West Midnapore Superintendent of Police Manoj Verma and Jhargram police chief Praveen Tripathi not be given responsibility of providing security to Mamata Banerjee.
Mahato also admitted that PCAPA members have campaigned in the Junglemahal (forested areas of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia) region, urging people to participate in the Lalgarh meeting to be held under the banner of ‘Santrash Birodhi Mancha’ (Anti Atrocities Platform).