Kolkata: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee called for a symbolic mass fasting on Sunday as part of her indefinite hunger strike against the acquisition of farm land in West Bengal for a Tata car unit.
Banerjee also called for a mass sit-ins at the venue of her hunger strike in Esplanade area of central Kolkata on Monday to intensify the "people's movement" against the "adamant" attitude of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, who refuses to go back on his decision to hand over the land to the Tatas.
She said any group or individual opposed to the government policy of taking over farm land to set up factories was free to join the protests.
"I call upon people across society to come and join if you feel for the farmers and their plight," she appealed. Her own fast entered the seventh day on Sunday.
She alleged that people were being checked once they crossed Howrah district towards Hooghly where Singur, the site for the small car project, is located and that villagers in Singur had to move around with identity cards.
Denying that she had rejected the talks offer by the chief minister, Banerjee said: "I want the government to stop acquiring land and lift prohibitory orders from the area before holding dialogues."
On Sunday, social activist Medha Patkar was arrested as she took part in a silent march in Kolkata to protest against police cane charge on journalists in Hooghly.
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