The Hindu Business Line : Mamata calls for 2-day Bengal bandh from Dec 21

The Trinamool Congress Leader, Ms Mamata Banerjee, who is protesting against the acquisition of farmland in Singur for the Tata small car project, on Monday called a 48-hour bandh in West Bengal beginning December 21. The two-day bandh call has been made to protest the mysterious killing of an 18-year-old girl whose burnt body was found in a paddy field in Singur.

Ms Banerjee told newspersons at the site of her agitation that the victim was raped and killed and demanded a CBI inquiry into the incident. She was critical of the Central Government's "indifference" to the Singur issue. She alleged that the Central Government's dependence on the CPI (M) was restraining it from intervening in the Singur issue.

The bandh on December 21 will be the fourth of its kind this month. On December 1, the Trinamool Congress had called a Statewide bandh to protest against the acquisition of multi-crop farmland in Singur for the Tata small car project. On December 5, the Socialist Unity Centre of India had called a bandh on the same issue. On December 14, the CPI (M) labour wing, the CITU, had called a 24-hour bandh.

Meanwhile, Ms Banerjee's fast today entered its 15th day with the Trinamool Congress leader turning down pleas to call off her indefinite fast to protest against the acquisition of farmland in Singur for the Tata project.

Addressing a news conference, the Chairman of the Left Front, Mr Biman Bose, said an emergency meeting of the Left Front constituents had been convened on December 20, to discuss ways to oppose the bandh.

He urged people to foil the proposed bandh and alleged that some people were "playing games" in the name of bandhs. He hinted that besides the Trinamool there were other organisations that were fishing in troubled waters in Singur.

The West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, refused to comment on Ms Banerjee's bandh call. When newspersons insisted on his reactions, he said he would comment on the matter "when required".

Meanwhile, the State Government has asked the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to probe the killing of the girl - who has been identified as Tapasi Malik - in Singur.

A team of senior CID officials from Kolkata had reached the site of the killing today and have begun investigations.

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