Social activist Medha Patkar and Trinamool Congress chief Mamta Banerjee continued their hunger strike on Tuesday while TC threatened to launch a long-drawn movement against the Tatas' proposed car project on a farmland in Singur, West Bengal.
Fencing of the project site is on its last leg and the land is scheduled to be handed over to the Tatas this month. One thousand labourers were engaged in fencing work at Gopalnagar on Tuesday morning, which was progressing smoothly.
The government had earlier faced stiff resistance from farmers at Gopalnagar in its bid to acquire land for the car project.
Meanwhile, Patkar told PTI over phone that she and her associates will continue with their hunger strike, which began on Monday.
Trinamool Congress legislator Rabindranath Bhattacharya, who also went on fast on Tuesday against the alleged police repression on farmers, warned that fencing was not the last word and threatened that his party would launch a long-term agitation.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya appealed to Banerjee and Patkar to give up their hunger strike.
"I appeal to the Trinamool chief and Medha Patkar to withdraw their fast and agitation," he told reporters at the state Secretariat.
"Medha rang me up. We can discuss anything, but I will not allow her to go to Singur," Bhattacharjee, who on Monday clarified that only rehabilitation and compensation for farmers could be discussed now, and the Tata small car project would carry on, said.
State's Industries Director M V Rao, overseeing the fencing at Singur, said the work would be completed during the day and the land would be ready for handover to the Tatas.
The TC chief's indefinite fast at Dharamtollah area in Kolkata entered the second day as also that of Patkar who was in a guesthouse on the outskirts of Kolkata where she has been put up by the police.
