Bhattacharjee was addressing a gathering of party workers in Kolkata to commemorate the 120th birth anniversary of Muzzafar Ahmed, one of the party’s founders.

The fumes in Singur refuse to settle down though the first Nano is scheduled to roll out this Durga Puja. The Trinamool Congress has stepped up its campaign to ensure that the government returns around 400 acres of the 997.11 acquired. This should be given back to farmers who are unwilling to move and have not accepted any compensation. The government’s stand: it cannot physically and legally return scattered plots without scrapping the entire project. The chief minister repeated the government’s call to the Opposition to come forward for a “reasonable” discussion leaving behind “illogical and unwanted” arguments. “It is not possible to return 400 acres of land. The factory will have to be shut if we do that. This is not like returning three shirts of the four I buy because I don’t like them later. If the factory does not come up, what will happen to the 6,000 who are waiting for jobs?” Bhattacharjee said. “I am not interested in whether the Tatas or the Birlas are building the project. Nor am I interested in the car’s price, or who will ride it. We want the project for the jobs it will create,” he added. Earlier in the day, the state director general of police, the home secretary and other senior officials visited Singur. The Trinamool Congress-backed Bhumi Uchched Pratirodh Committee has been accused of intimidating labourers and construction officials at the site. A visit to the project site, however, revealed that work was on in full swing.

“There were some reports of labourers being beaten up and being threatened against taking up jobs at the site. But we cannot afford to stay home from fear. We will report to duty come what may,” a worker said.