With the political rivalry between the CPM and the Trinamool Congress at its height in Haldia, Trinamool activists today attacked the CPM district committee office at Tamluk.

Yesterday, CPM cadres had attacked a Trinamool rally led by party MP Suvendu Adhikary at Haldia, in which Adhikary was injured.

The CPM district committee secretary, Kanu Sahoo, said that about 500 Trinamool activists made an attempt to enter the party office today. They pelted stones and bricks at the party office in which Prasanta Pradhan, former MP of the party, was injured. The Trinamool men escaped when policemen arrived at the spot, Sahoo said.

Superintendent of Police, East Midnapore, Bastav Baidya said that the situation is under control now. The police, however, did not receive any complaint in the incident, said Baidya.

The Trinamool Congress, meanwhile, held a meeting at Haldia and various places in East Midnapore district today, protesting against the attack on Adhikary. Baidya said that the police have arrested 10 CPM men in connection with the attack. Adhikary, however, said the police did not arrest the persons named in the FIR.

More trouble may be brewing for the industrial town, as police suspect outsiders have started visiting the area to build an organisation allegedly for opposing the Nayachar project. The police had detained eight persons, including three women, on Sunday when they organised a meeting at Haldia. They had gathered under the ‘Gana Jagaran Mancha’ demanding the release of Chhatradhar Mahato.

Kamalesh Mahato, a resident of Lalgarh and Lakhan Saren, a resident of Sarenga in Bankura, were among those detained by the police. Baidya said they were released after interrogation as the police did not find any objectionable articles from them.

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