Singur, Aug. 29: Mamata Banerjee today washed her hands of last evening’s blockade in which hundreds of personnel working at the small-car plant were held up for over three hours and threatened.

“Yesterday’s was an isolated incident…. Ours is a satyagraha and we don’t have any intention of hurting anybody or causing disruption,” Mamata said today.

“People associated with an NGO under the leadership of a social activist had appealed to some workers to consider whether to report for work or join us,” she explained.

Around 100 protesters had waylaid busloads of people outside the plant’s gate No. 5 when they were leaving the site at 5pm. The buses rolled out at 8.20pm, after a warning that they should not venture into the site again.

By “social activist”, Mamata meant Anuradha Talwar of the Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samiti.

Talwar said she was not aware of Mamata’s statement, but added: “Trinamul supporters and members of various other organisations were there when we were singing songs outside the plant.”

Becharam Manna, the face of the Save Farmland Committee and a local Trinamul leader, was also there with his supporters last evening. “I was not there when the gathering took place outside the gate. I reached later and I also requested the Tata Motors employees to stay away from work,” he said.

Members of outfits like the United Students’ Democratic Front, Jana Sangharsha Committee and the Group for Rural Alternative Movement were also around the gate.

While the blockade was on, a plant employee returning home on his motorcycle was beaten up.

“We don’t have the intention of spreading violence. We have no intention to stop work,” Mamata said today.

Talwar and her supporters insisted that they would “sit outside the gates and sing songs” if the plant employees returned to work. “We had requested them not to come to work from tomorrow and I think they have responded to our call,” Talwar said.

IG (law and order) Raj Kanojia said the employees did not join work because of intimidation and threats.