CPM rebels attack ex-comrades in West Midnapore

This became evident when the Sunday’s CPM rally in West Midnapore turned a battleground,with the party rebels attacked and locked up by their former comrades.

In the retaliatory attack by Chandrakona legislator Gurupada Datta’s supporters,six persons were injured and three shops were damaged,said district police.

Nearly a year ago,over 12,000 Krishnapur party cadres had left the CPM to form a new body — Gram Unnayan Committee (GUC). Since then,the party has been at odds with the GUC,whose existence it sees as an affront to its hold in the area.

During Sunday’s rally,attended by the GUC men,Datta had reportedly threatened that if party deserters continued to refuse to return to the fold,he would take back Krishnapur village by force,alluding to the CPM “recapture” of Nandigram in October 2007.

Upon hearing the threat,the infuriated former party men attacked the CPM leaders,who had to hastily decamp in search of safety and ultimately soughht refuge in the local party office. There,they were locked in by the GUC supporters. According to police sources,the MLA and several other local and zonal committee members were among the hostages.

As news of the attack spread,CPM cadres gathered and launched an attack on the GUC activists with bombs,swords and sticks,resulting in six of them being injured. The police said one of them also suffered splinter injuries. The cadres also ransacked three shops,said to belong to GUC members.

In protest,around 5,000 GUC supporters blocked the Krishnapur-Arambagh Road,following which traffic movement came to a halt for about seven hours.

With the road blocked,senior police officers could not reach the party office to rescue the MLA and other leaders. They managed to reach only around 3 pm and held negotiations with the GUC men. The leaders were released around 4 pm.