KOLKATA: Eight days after over 30 villages of Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal erected barricades against the police after two villagers were killed in alleged police firing on protesters, a Trinamool Congress delegation led by Rajarhat MLA Sabyasachi Dutta persuaded the local people to end the blockade.
The Trinamool Congress promised to stop the project but the agitating Jomi, Jibika, Poribesh o Bastutantra Committee wanted chief minister Mamata Banerjee or her top cabinet ministers to meet them and give the assurance in person.
While that did not materialize, the Trinamool MLA claimed that the people decided to lift the blockade of their own volition.
Local Trinamool leader Kallu Sheikh and CPI(ML) Red Star leaders Alik Chakraborty and Sharmishtha Choudhury, who were alleged to be the leaders of the agitation, were not present in the peace rally held today by Dutta.
Also not present were Trinamool strongman Arabul Islam or Trinamool minister and local MLA Abdur Rezzak Mollah. Sources revealed that the powerful brick kiln lobby in the area pressured the agitators to lift the blockade as their trucks could not pass through.
Red Star leader K N Ramachandran had 'disappeared' from Howrah Station on Sunday evening when he came to attend meetings in Bhangar. He was later sent back to New Delhi on Monday reportedly by security agencies.