Tension grips Posco site on eve of opponents' rally

Tension gripped the trouble torn Gobindpur village in the proposed Posco steel project site in Orissa's Jagatsinghpur district following clash between the pro and anti-Posco activists ahead of the public meeting of the Posco Pratirodha Sangram Samiti (PPSS) scheduled on Thursday.

The clash between the pro and anti-Posco activists began when Posco project sympathizer, who was returning to Nuagaon village through Gobindpur, was asked to join PPSS by the anti-Posco activists.

A verbal duel broke out between the two sides which led to physical assaults.

Following this incident, tension has prevailed at the Gobindpur and Nuagaon villages as both pro and anti-Posco activists have gone into the aggressive mood.

The anti-Posco activists of Gobindpur village and the pro-Posco activists of Nuagaon have cut the roads from their respective sides to prevent the entry of the opposition groups.

Meanwhile, Abahya Shaoo, the anti Posco leader and secretary, PPSS asserted that thousands of anti-Posco activists would participate at the PPSS public meeting on Thursday.

Several prominent anti-displacement leaders from Orissa as well as West Bengal would participate in the meeting, he claimed.

He said that the pro-Posco activists would not succeed in their attempt to prevent the agitation by PPSS.

Meanwhile, elaborate arrangements have been made by the police to ensure a peaceful meeting of PPSS.

Anil Mishra, the inspector in charge of the Kujang police station, said, no one has lodged an FIR on the clash between the pro-Posco and anti-Posco activists at Gobindpur.

He admitted that the road to Gobindpur village has been cut from both sides by respective villagers. Police is keeping a strict vigil on the movement of anti socials and that two platoons of police forces will be deployed for the PPSS meeting, he informed.