Anti-POSCO activists attacked

NDTV Correspondent
Friday, November 30, 2007 (Bhubaneshwar)
As Anti-POSCO activists from all over the State are protesting in Bhubaneshwar, tension in Orissa is building over the POSCO steel plant - one of India's biggest foreign direct investment projects. Last evening at least 17 people were injured when supporters of a local MLA, armed with weapons and crude bombs attacked the members of anti-POSCO group near the proposed site for the steel plant. The attackers reportedly wanted the anti-Posco group to vacate the land which the steel giant has still not been able to take over.The police later intervened and now scores of police are in the area as tension persists.Activists involved in anti-displacement movements across Orissa are on a protest dharna in Bhubaneswar against the planned attack on the anti-POSCO protestors on Thursday.A number of intellectuals and farmer leaders too have joined the protest. They have condemned the attack and described it as State government-sponsored violence. On Thursday evening over 200 supporters of POSCO project armed with lethal weapons and crude bombs attacked the members of the POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti near Balitutth. They set the protestors' camp office on fire. In the clash that followed 17 people including 5 women were injured. The police and the district administration, who were aware of the mounting tension intervened only after the clashes took place. Now three platoons of police have been deployed in the area.