TMC rallies in Bhangar over anti-power grid protest

Kolkata: Prodded by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress held a peace rally at Bhangar in South 24-Parganas on Saturday afternoon. The rally advocated the message that "outsiders" should immediately leave the villages and the power grid should be set up for a complete overhaul of electricity distribution.

Bhangar MLA and the minister for Food Processing and Horticulture threw a challenge to those opposing the power grid and reiterated that it will come up before the Panchayat elections.

"We will not tolerate such kind of movement. We all stand united here and we will be holding more meetings to make people aware of the benefits that they will get after the power grid is complete. We will take the people into confidence and the grid will come up before the Panchayat elections," Mollah said.

Local Trinamool leaders — Arabul Islam and Kaizer Ahmed 1 also joined the peace rally along with Mollah that started from Kashipur area and went till Anantapur area.

In the last one year, Bhangar has witnessed several incidents of sporadic violence over the construction of a power grid substation.

It was barely two days back when some people were injured and vehicles were set ablaze after a clash broke out between a group of protesters agitating against the power grid project and Trinamool Congress activists on Thursday.

Local TMC leader Kaizer Ahmed urged the "outsiders" to immediately leave Bhangar and said they are capable of solving the local disputes by themselves.

"The outsiders are creating tension in two of the villages in Bhangar. We want to convey that we are in favour of development. We want the power grid here so that electrification in Bhangar gains more rapidity," he claimed.

The Chief Minister on Friday had called Trinamool Congress' South 24-Parganas district president Sovan Chatterjee, Bhangar MLA Mollah and local party leaders Arabul Islam and Kaiser Ahmed to Nabanna for a meeting. It may be mentioned that Banerjee had stated clearly that they should all stand united. She also urged them to give special focus to the disputed villages in Bhangar.

It may be mentioned that the villagers backed by Jami, Jibika, Poribesh O Bastutantra Rakha Committee — a platform for villagers backed by Naxalite outfit CPI(ML) Red Star, turned the anti power grid agitation into a land stir movement demanding the state government to return their land and stop the construction of the power grid.