Slain security men’s families block Bengal ministers’ convoy
By IANSTuesday, February 16, 2010
KOLKATA - The families and friends of 24 security personnel killed by Maoists in West Bengal blocked and lay seige to the convoy of five ministers who were going for a gun salute for the slain jawans in the West Midnapore district.
The blockade took place at Salua in West Midnapore when a team of five ministers, led by state Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta, was headed for the gun salute for the Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR) troopers who were killed in Monday’s Maoist attack at the joint forces’ camp in Shilda.
“The family members of those jawans staged a protest and stopped our convoy. They demanded immediate order to shoot the perpetrators (Maoists) who killed the EFR personnel posted at the Shilda camp,” said state Sports Minister Kanti Ganguly, one of the ministers visiting Salua.
“Their anguish is quite natural as they have lost their family members,” he added.
Ganguly said the families of the 24 EFR victims also demanded Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s intervention in the matter.
Besides Dasgupta and Ganguly, state Fisheries Minister Kiranmoy Nanda, Relief Minister Mortaza Hossain and Civil Defence Minister Shrikumar Mukherjee visited the EFR colony Tuesday evening.
