Purulia alert after Maoist threat
Friday, March 16, 2007
Statesman News Service
PURULIA, March 15: “Don’t participate in the three-tier forthcoming panchayat elections to be held soon”, appealed a group of Maoist supporters, through leaflets and posters, which were lying in front of the Keroa and Ghatbera Gram Panchyat office in Balarampur of Purulia last week. They also hoisted their flags and cautioned against the blasting a land mine.
Apprehending the presence of a land mine at a place the police cordoned off the site with sacks of sand. But nothing was found in the area. However, they seized all the leaflets, posters and flags, reportedly kept by a Maoist supporter.
According to a police officer “A group of Maoist supporters, probably of Jharkhand areas, are trying to create chaos among the villages bordering the Purulia district of West Bengal,” admitted a police official of Balarampur thana areas, 50 km from Purulia town saying: “We are taking the matter seriously and we are ready to tackle any untoward situation, if that might arise, at any moment.”
Meanwhile, a poster was found on the wall of the CPI-M district committee office, at Namopara in Purulia town, a few days ago. The Purulia MLA Mr Nikhil Mukherjee was threatened by a new party, MLMCC which said: “We demand Mr Mukherjee to be decapitated as he supports the eviction of hawkers.” The message was written on a white paper with red ink, said the police of Purulia.
Purulia SP Mr Ashok Kumar Prosad, however, ruled out the possibility of Maoist support, judging from the style of writing.
MLA Mr Nikhil Mukherjee, and the members of Purulia district CPI-M committee, had disagreed to stress on the threat: “We came to know the issue and persons, involved, so now we will combat the problem politically also.”
In the meantime, residents of Kantadih in Arsha of Purulia live in fear. The business community remains alert as one of its members, Mr Mantu Kundu was attacked by a gang of armed dacoits. They observed a six hour bandh demanding safety and security in the area. The Statesman
posted by Resistance 3/16/2007 09:25:00 AM,
