Union Shipping Minister Mukul Roy, Tamluk MP Suvendu Adhikary — and former IPS officers Rachpal Singh and H A Safi — walked with around 5,000 people to protest against the “ongoing terror”. After the rally, they held a meeting in front of the Garbeta police station.

The Trinamool had decided to hold rallies and meetings in the CPM strongholds of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia to revive the party organisation before the coming assembly election. The next meeting will be held on September 1, said Roy. Owing to the ‘red terror’, the Opposition parties did not put any candidate in the panchayat election at Garbeta, alleged Roy.

The camps were being run at Garbeta, Chandrakona and Salboni by the armed cadres and hired goons of the CPM. They terrorised the areas and blamed the Maoists, alleged Suvendu Adhikary. Over the last one week, TMC offices were attacked at Salboni and Chandrakona. The CPM cadres were roaming the areas with firearms and the police were silent, he alleged.

The CPM, the Trinamool leaders said, has succeed in establishing its domination in the villages of West Midanpore after the Maoists received a setback in the wake of several operations by the joint forces.