A month after an intelligence official was lynched and a police team attacked by a mob, Nandigram was on the boil again today with at least 11 persons being killed and over 25 injured as political workers, spearheading a campaign to oppose acquisition of farm land for industries, attacked police and were fired upon.

West Bengal DGP A B Vohra said they were told to ‘‘restore the rule of law’’ in Nandigram and had mobilised as many 3,000 policemen early this morning. But the policemen, he said, faced stiff resistance from a 5,000-strong mob — members of the Save Land Committee who were armed with guns, bombs and other weapons.

Vohra said six bodies had been recovered and the death toll could rise as reports were awaited from other areas. A late night PTI report put the toll at 11 killed while partners of the ruling Left Front said it could be between 10 and 13 while the Opposition Trinamool claimed 20 people had been killed.

Though Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee — he will be making a statement in the Assembly tomorrow on the Nandigram violence — had made clear that a special economic zone (SEZ) or a chemicals hub would not be thrust on Nandigram if the people there did not want it, local politics took over.

The Save Land Committee, comprising cadres of Trinamool Congress, Congress, SUCI, BJP, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind and even the CPI, locked horns with local CPM leaders, led by its MP and strongman Lakshman Seth of Haldia. CPI MLA Mohammad Illyas has been a staunch supporter of the Save Land Committee.

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