Saonli brigade under attack

Saonli brigade under attack

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=6&id=155242&usrsess=1

Statesman News Service
HALDIA/KOLKATA, May 2: CPI-M activists ransacked vehicles and abused a group of intellectuals led by Ms Saonli Mitra while they were returning from a meeting at Sonachura on Tuesday, at Hanschara on the stretch of Chandipur –Nandigram road.
The team of 70 eminent personalities including Saonli Mitra, Bratya Basu, Tarun Sanyal, Pallab Kirtania and others conducted a meeting at Sonachura to express solidarity with the people of Nandigram after the massacre on 14 March. A CPI-M rally obstructed the convoy of the protesting intellectuals at Hanschara at about 7:30 pm in the evening. The activists ransacked a car owned by Mrs Bijoya Mukherjee, a poet while severely damaged other vehicles. They started to abuse the protesting intellectuals by issuing filthy languages. Mr BP Das, a BUPC leader said, “CPI-M cadres even tried to pull down some of the intellectuals from the car and manhandled them.”
Later, the group of intellectuals lodged a FIR against the CPI-M activists for ransack of vehicles and abusing, with Chandipur police station.
Mr Prasad Ranjan Roy, state home secretary, today said at Writers’ Buildings that the state government has sought a report from the district authorities in this regard.
However, veteran RSP leader and state PWD minister, Mr Kshiti Goswami and CPI leader and state water investigation minister, Mr Nanda Gopal Bhattacharya today condemned the incident. Mr Goswami said that the group of intellectuals went to Nandigram to distribute relief materials and they have all the rights to do it. He also said that local administration and police should have arranged proper security for them. The chief minister today condemned attack on some media persons who went to cover incidents at Nandigram yesterday. “This is very bad,” he said.