Bhattacharjee asks Mamata, Patkar to call off fast

With the fencing for the Tata Motors project site at Singur scheduled to be completed today, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee appealed to Trinamool Congress (TC) chief Mamata Banerjee and social activist Medha Patkar to give up their hunger strike.

"I appeal to the Trinamool chief and Medha Patkar to withdraw their fast and agitation," he told reporters at the state secretariat.

"Medha rang me up. We can discuss anything, but I will not allow her to go to Singur," Bhattacharjee, who yesterday clarified that only rehabilitation and compensation for farmers could be discussed now and the Tata small car project would carry on, said.

State's Industries Director M V Rao, overseeing the fencing at Singur, said the work would be completed during the day and the land would be ready for handover to the Tatas.

Updated at 1500 hrs: Tata in Singur: Trinamool threatens long stir

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on an indefinite fast at Dharmatala area here since yesterday demanding a halt to the land acquisition at Singur and withdrawal of the massive police deployment there, continued her fast today.

Social activist Medha Patkar too continued her hunger strike today.

Trinamool Congress threatened to launch a long-drawn movement against the Tatas' proposed car project on a farmland here.

Fencing of the project site is on its last leg and the land is scheduled to be be handed over to the Tatas this month.

Patkar, who was turned away from Singur for the second time in three days yesterday and escorted by police to a guest house in the CIL complex in Dankuni, near here, said that she and her associates would continue their fast resorted to since yesterday.

Trinamool Congress MLA Rabindranath Bhattacharya, who also went on fast today against alleged police repression on farmers, warned fencing was not the last word and threatened that his party would launch a long-term agitation.