Seventeen persons were injured, some critically, as fresh trouble flared up in the villages of embattled Nandigram on Tuesday morning, as warring groups of the Trinamool Congress (TC) and CPI(M) clashed with bombs and firearms. The police said the injured included 15 Trinamool Congress activists, all of whom were rushed to a primary health clinic in Jonka.

According to S S Panda, SP of East Midnapore, no one has been arrested yet, but he refused to say whether raids were ordered to unearth the stockpiles of bombs, arms and ammunition.

Meanwhile, Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee (BUPC) held a protest demonstration in front of Nandigram police station and demanded that the police immediately seize firearms from CPI(M) cadres in the trouble-torn areas. The BUPC also demanded that the police withdraw all “false” cases lodged against BUPC leaders for the murder of CPI(M) leader Niranjan Mondal on August 8.

In Kolkata, Trinamool Congress walked out of the Assembly in protest against Speaker H A Halim’s refusal to admit its adjournment motion which accused the ruling CPI-M of fomenting trouble in Nandigram. The Speaker also refused to admit another adjournment motion moved by the Congress on the same issue.