Dozens of people, including 11 policemen, were injured in clashes between Trinamool Congress activists and police during a planned march to prohibitory order-bound Singur where work is on for the Tatas' car project.
Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia told PTI in Kolkata that police had to lathi-charge the agitators who resorted to brickbatting against security forces at Dankuni, 8 km from Singur, where police had set up a barricade to prevent the protestors from going to Singur, which has been a political hotbed for over two months.
Kanojia said police also used water cannons and burst teargas shells to disperse the volatile crowd.
"Eleven policemen were injured in the clashes and four of them had to be taken to the hospital for first aid," he said.
He said protestors armed with bamboo poles had gathered at four points in the district in the afternoon to kickstart the day's agitation against acquisition of fertile farmland for the Tata Motors' project.
At Maitipara, about 1 km from Singur, police chased away a group of TC activists when they tried to break the cordon.
Trinamool Congress claimed 15 to 17 of their supporters sustained injuries in "unprovoked" police lathicharge.
Asked how many TC supporters were injured, Kanojia said, "I cannot give this figure as we have not made any arrests."