In his first public comment on the issue, Singh described the developments in Nandigram as ‘unfortunate’.

It was unusual for the Prime Minister in the midst of a free-wheeling press conference on board his special aircraft to read out a brief prepared statement when asked about his assessment of the trouble-torn area.

"The events in Nandigram are unfortunate. I condole the loss of lives and regret the destruction of property," he said.

"I sincerely hope the state government will be able to take necessary steps to restore confidence in the people through effective deployment of security forces," Singh said.

"It is the duty of the state government to ensure that all sections of the population, regardless of their political views and affiliations, are entitled to and do receive protection of law enforcement authorities," he said.

"I understand this spontaneous outpouring of grief and anguish over the issue as expressed by artists and intellectuals in Kolkata. I hope the state government will take note of this," Singh said.

The Prime Minister said he has asked Home Minister Shivraj Patil to be in touch with West Bengal Chief Minister Buddadev Bhattarcharya on the issue.