Tension enveloped Nandigram (West Bengal) once again on Sunday 20 April, a day after a woman there was allegedly gangraped by CPM workers. It is alleged that the convoys of Trinamool Congress chief, Mamata Banerjee and Contai MLA, Shubhendu Adhikary were allegedly assaulted by CPM supporters as the police stood by as a silent spectator. Both politicians were on their way to Garupara in Gokulnagar, which has been seeing strong clashes since Friday 18 April.

 

Accusing the police of acting against Opposition members, Trinamool’s Egra MLA Shishir Adhikary filed an FIR against the Nandigram police station officer-in-charge, Debashish Chakraborty. The Trinamool chief’s convoy was stopped when CPM workers, who were allegedly carrying firearms, attacked it near Gokulnagar around four pm. Mamata Banerjee alleged that people behaved badly with her after she emerged from her car to remove those who were blocking the convoy’s path.

 

Trinamool leaders further alleged that additional SP (Haldia), Prasun Banerjee and additional SP (headquarters), S M H Mirza were present at the spot, but did not do anything. Contai MLA, Shubhendu Adhikary was going to Garupara by another route around the same time, when a powerful mob of CPM supporters stopped his vehicle at Pramanikpara. The MLA alleged that the Nandigram OC, present at the spot, did nothing to stop the mob.