"We had intelligence reports that police will face resistance, but we had no idea that the resistance would be so organized," Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Roy said.
Police were attacked with stones, bombs and pipeguns by the villagers, he said.
"Police were provoked by the villagers to open fire," he maintained, adding that 115 people – 73 villagers and 42 policemen – were injured in the incident.
However, according to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, over 20 villagers perished in the firing in Nandigram. She also claimed that 300 persons had sustained bullet injuries and the state government was doing everything to suppress the enormity of the police brutality.
Defending the police excesses in Nandigram, police Director General of Police (DGP) Anup Bhusan Vohra claimed police tried to reason with the protesting villagers.
"We went there only to restore law and order. For the past two months, no government employee was allowed to enter there. We have been patient, and even today we did not initiate violence," he said.
"We did not expect such a stiff resistance because we did not have an information network for last two and a half months. But from now onwards police will remain there but our forward march will be with patience," said Chief Minister Bhattacharya, fumbling for explanations.
CPI(M) politburo member and Left front chairman Biman Bose has also justified police action. "For two and half months rule of law did not exist in Nandigram. The roads were cut and bridges were destroyed. This can’t be allowed to go on. The administration had to act," he said.
About 950 police were now deployed in the Nandigram area and trying to restore order, State Home Secretary, Roy, said.
Meanwhile, acting on a petition filed by the National Alliance of People's Movement and some lawyers, the Calcutta High Court has ordered India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the shootings.
The court in its order directed a CBI team to immediately visit Nandigram and collect all evidence of firing by the security forces which resulted in deaths of so many people.
It also directed the Buddhadeb Bhattacharya government to file an affidavit detailing the circumstances under which the firing was ordered.
The court also directed that under no circumstances any evidence should be destroyed by any person and instructed the CBI to collect all evidence including the post–mortem conducted on the victims of the firing.
In response, the CPI(M) said its government in West Bengal was "absolutely open" for any transparent probe including by the CBI to bring out the "truth."
Senior party leader Brinda Karat said the West Bengal Government was planning to order a judicial probe into the incident, but since the Calcutta High Court has directed a CBI investigation "we have no problem at all."
"The facts should be brought out before the people. We are also interested in that...We are not afraid. Let the truth come out," Karat, a politburo member of the party, said.
Nation
Nandigram violence evokes nationwide protest, leaves WB Govt. red–faced
By: Jacob Chaterjee
Monday, 19 March 2007, 8:13 (IST)
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