Nandigram, March 14: Life has turned full circle in exactly three years for Mukul Roy in Nandigram.

On this day in 2012, at a government event in the East Midnapore Trinamul bastion, Mamata Banerjee had opposed a train fare hike proposed by then Union railways minister Dinesh Trivedi and announced that Roy, then her trusted aide, would replace him.

Today, a section of Trinamul activists blocked the former all-India general secretary's way thrice as he tried to enter Nandigram, forcing him to abandon his plan at a time his position in the party has weakened dramatically over the past few weeks.

On the eighth anniversary of the police firing that killed 14 anti-land acquisition protesters, Nandigram turned into a battleground for a showdown between Roy and the Trinamul leadership.

At the three entry points to Nandigram - Chandipur, Tekhali and Bhangabera - some 10-15 people, who identified themselves as members of the Trinamul-backed Bhumi Uchchhed Pratirodh Committee (BUPC), blocked Roy's way.

The Rajya Sabha MP tried to speak to those obstructing his way and enter but gave up after five hours. Haldia MLA Siuli Saha, a Roy loyalist, was allegedly heckled.

Like in the past seven years, the committee organised a programme at Nandigram's Gokulnagar in memory of those who were killed. Trinamul secretary-general and education minister Partha Chatterjee, minister Firhad Hakim, Tamluk MP Subhendu Adhikari and his father, Contai MP Sisir Adhikari, attended the programme, which went off peacefully.

The decision to send Chatterjee and Hakim was announced after Roy declared that he would visit Nandigram.

Some Roy loyalists alleged that Subhendu's loyalists stopped Roy from entering Nandigram. Roy, who has been trying to bury the hatchet with Subhendu, said he did not believe the Tamluk MP had orchestrated the plan to deny him entry.

'I do not believe this was backed by Subhendu. The people of Nandigram are with me. A handful of people tried to stop me. I could have entered forcibly, but I did not want to,' Roy said.

At 4.15pm, Roy's convoy of six cars turned back for Calcutta. Roy paid homage to those killed in Nandigram at the foot of the Gandhi statue on Mayo Road.

'During the CPM's rule in 2007, entry to Nandigram had been obstructed. I see the same thing happening now. I was not allowed to enter by a handful of people backed by political motives. History is being repeated here and it's quite dangerous,' Roy said.

Later, without referring to Roy, Trinamul secretary-general Chatterjee said: 'Thousands of people came and there was no trouble. If someone met with any obstruction, he could have called police.'

Earlier in the day, the agitators had queued up along the route with placards reading 'Mukul Roy Go Back'.

Khokon Sit, a BUPC member from Bhangabera and Trinamul leader, said he would not allow Roy to enter Nandigram. 'He plans to cause unrest in the area,' Sit said.

BUPC convener Abu Taher denied that the committee was involved in the blockades, saying the response of the people was 'spontaneous'.

A Trinamul MLA close to Roy said the leaders from Calcutta were sent to Nandigram to 'minimise' the possibility of a meeting ground between Roy and Subhendu. He said that although the two had a history of animosity, in recent times Roy had spoken in favour of Subhendu, which had made Mamata 'uneasy'.

Subhendu said he had no idea who stopped Roy. 'I have no clue regarding the protesters and who backed them. Nandigram's doors remain open for any well-wisher,' Subhendu said.

A Trinamul source said that given the clout of the Adhikari family in the two Midnapores, Subhendu could have stopped Roy at Kolaghat bridge, 70km away, had he wanted to.

'But Roy was allowed to reach the fringes of Nandigram. He was disallowed from visiting the site where the BUPC was holding the programme. This could have been a part of an understanding between Roy and Subhendu,' he said.

The source said a group opposed to the Adhikaris could have stopped Roy.