Lalgarh, West Bengal: Police raids were on in Netai village near this Maoist hub in West Bengal on Saturday, a day after seven people were shot dead and 12 wounded by alleged Marxist-backed assailants.
Groups of villagers were seen huddled together, mourning, while anxiety was writ large on the faces of those whose family members lay critically injured in hospitals.
Around noon, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee went round the village. She is slated to hold a meeting later 3km from the site of violence.
West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee yesterday condemned the killing of seven villagers in Lalgarh area and said that all political parties should restrain themselves from violence.
"We want peace in the state. What happened yesterday [Friday] at West Midnapore is not good. Many people died. Each and every political parties should restrain themselves from violence," Bhattacharjee said.
Home Minister P. Chidambaram summoned the chief minister to New Delhi.
Call to end violence
"If this violence spreads once then each and every work and development process will stop. We don't want innocent people to be killed. Violence should stop," Bhattacharjee said.
Amid allegations that the killers were sheltered in a camp set up by the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), which denied its involvement, Governor M.K. Narayanan called it a "day of sorrow and shame" and asked the state government "to act decisively".
Narayanan in his press statement also said that he is "deeply disturbed, saddened and concerned" over the killing of so many persons in Lalgarh and had regretted that not even mothers and daughters have been spared, and called it a "day of sorrow and shame" for the state.
Nobody went to the fields and wage labourers, for whom it is peak season, remained in their houses.
However, in a departure from the usual trend of villagers leaving their houses and relocating elsewhere, Netai residents chose to stay put.
Groups of villagers were seen huddled together, mourning, while anxiety was writ large on the faces of those whose family members lay critically injured in hospitals.
Around noon, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee went round the village. She is slated to hold a meeting later 3km from the site of violence.
West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee yesterday condemned the killing of seven villagers in Lalgarh area and said that all political parties should restrain themselves from violence.
"We want peace in the state. What happened yesterday [Friday] at West Midnapore is not good. Many people died. Each and every political parties should restrain themselves from violence," Bhattacharjee said.
Home Minister P. Chidambaram summoned the chief minister to New Delhi.
Call to end violence
"If this violence spreads once then each and every work and development process will stop. We don't want innocent people to be killed. Violence should stop," Bhattacharjee said.
Amid allegations that the killers were sheltered in a camp set up by the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), which denied its involvement, Governor M.K. Narayanan called it a "day of sorrow and shame" and asked the state government "to act decisively".
Narayanan in his press statement also said that he is "deeply disturbed, saddened and concerned" over the killing of so many persons in Lalgarh and had regretted that not even mothers and daughters have been spared, and called it a "day of sorrow and shame" for the state.
Nobody went to the fields and wage labourers, for whom it is peak season, remained in their houses.
However, in a departure from the usual trend of villagers leaving their houses and relocating elsewhere, Netai residents chose to stay put.
