Swami Agnivesh dubs police action in POSCO area as 'criminal'

BHUBANESWAR: A day after CPI National Secretary D Raja slammed the Odisha government's midnight action on anti-Posco agitators, social activist Swami Agnivesh today dubbed the action as "criminal."

"Government has no right to use force for acquiring land. It is undemocratic, illegal and also criminal," Agnivesh told reporters here before leaving for the proposed plant site near Paradip.

Alleging that the police assaulted innocent anti-displacement agitators in its bid to acquire land for the Posco project, Agnivesh said he was on the way to Gobindpur village to express solidarity with agitating people.

Police, however, promptly denied Agnivesh's allegation. "We have never used force for the land acquisition as alleged by Swami Agnivesh. He is free to go the spot and talk to people."

"Land of those people, who offered their plots, were acquired after payment of compensation. Though our personnel stood there for security of land doners, police have never assaulted the agitators," SP, Jagatsinghpur, Satybrata Bhoi said.