145;Replace police with paramilitary146;

Emphasising the need for industrialisation and special economic zones in the region...

Emphasising the need for industrialisation and special economic zones in the region, Leader of Opposition in Parliament L K Advani today criticised the Left Front government8217;s 8220;forcible8221; land acquisition process for industries in the state.

Advani today led a nine-member NDA team to Nandigram, where police firing killed over a dozen locals, protesting the proposed chemical hub in the area, on Wednesday.

Calling the Left Front government in the state ruthless, Advani said the NDA would demand for the Centre8217;s intervention in Nandigram, including replacing police by central paramilitary forces in affected areas.

With party leader Sushma Swaraj and NDA convenor George Fernandes in tow, Advani today met villagers in Sonachura and visited the injured at Nandigram and Tamluk hospitals.

8220;The NDA is not against industrialisation or SEZs but the government here is using armed force in acquiring land from farmers,8221; the former Union Home minister said. Industrialisation through SEZs is an ongoing process in Gujarat but farmers there get good price for land directly from private parties.8221;

Accompanied by a Trinamool Congress team led by Mukul Roy, the NDA members addressed a large gathering at Sonachura bazaar, where locals narrated tales of 8220;police brutalities8221;.

They later visited nandigram and Tamluk medical centres and interacted with the injured victims.

Story continues below this ad

8220;I have never seen such brutality on innocent farmers,8221; Advani said. 8220;Many people are missing since Wednesday but they locals say the police are not receiving complaints. We will raise this issue in both house of Parliament.8221; Rajya Sabha member Sushma Swaraj said the NDA would ask the Centre to replace local police with paramilitary forces 8220;since people are scared of policemen. We also demand withdrawal of the SEZ policy in West Bengal; merely putting it on hold will not do.8221;

Incidentally, the government had announced in the state Budget on Wednesday that no new SEZ projects would be taken up for now.