East Midnapore CPM district committee secretary Kanu Sahoo echoed similar sentiments.

CPM leaders said central forces were deployed at Nandigram to restore normalcy in the region hit by violence for 11 months. They alleged that CRPF jawans deliberately heckled the family members of CPM supporters while they searched their houses at Khejuri and Nandigram block (II).

Asoke Guria, CPM district committee member and a resident of Nandigram, alleged that Maoists had operated from Nandigram block (I), a stronghold of the Bhumi Uchched Pratirodh Committee.

“They had dumped firearms and explosives in the area.

However, the CRPF did not conduct search operations properly. Instead, the CRPF confined themselves to particular areas of Nandigram block (II) and Khejuri for search operations, which were CPM bastions. They created unnecessary chaos and panic among the villagers there, he said.

Guria added that CRPF personnel had also snatched money from the villagers and picked up innocent persons for interrogations. He, however, admitted that no exchange of fire took place in Nandigram following the deployment of CRPF since November 14.

Meanwhile, East Midnapore Superintendent of Police S S Panda maintained: “The overall performance of CRPF in Nandigram is satisfactory. On some occasions, the Nandigram police could not provide personnel for patrol or search operations. The jawans are not familiar with Bengali and locals failed to understand their language.”