A man on his way to work jumps across the trench at Bhangabera. Picture by Jahangir Badsa

Tamluk, July 21: Trinamul supporters dug up the arterial road linking Khejuri with Nandigram town this morning, hours after a clash with CPM supporters at Bhangabera.

The digging, a throwback to last year’s land war, was at the same place where Bhoomi Uchchhed Pratirodh Committee supporters had cut a trench last year. The road, 500m from the Bhangabera bridge across the Talpatti canal, had been repaired in March 2007.

A large police team arrived at Bhangabera during the clash last evening and resorted to a baton charge. Trinamul supporters then surrounded Nandigram police station, accusing the police of firing at them and other “atrocities”.

As the police had entered the village from the Khejuri side, the Trinamul-led committee dug up the road. Several village roads were blocked with logs. “We had to block the entry of CPM cadres and the police from Khejuri. They had jointly planned the attack and taken that route last evening,” said committee convener Abu Taher.

Trinamul now holds the Sonachura gram panchayat. Its new head, Nishikanta Mondal, supported the dig-up.