Kolkata: Curfew will be imposed in violence-hit areas of central Kolkata from 10 pm to 6 am, City police commissioner Gautam Mohan Chakraborty has said. The orders came after the army was called in here today afternoon to control violence.

Earlier in the morning, mobs attacked police and torched vehicles during a three-hour shutdown by the All India Minority Forum to protest against Nandigram turmoil and to press the demand for expulsion of controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen.

Sources in the army headquarters here said that two columns have already left to stage flag marches in areas which witnessed violence.

Emerging from a high-level meeting with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, West Bengal Home secretary P R Roy told reporters that the government sought six columns of army, including four columns which would be on the standby. He said that the army would work in tandem with the state police and stage flag marches in areas in central Kolkata.

Police said that the Forum activists attacked the police with brickbats and bottles. The police burst tear gas shells and made lathicharge to chase away the attackers in various areas of the city.

Even after the three-hour shutdown, more people joined in and continued to attack the police in which Deputy Commissioner, South, Javed Shamim was injured.

The shutdown was called to protest against the Nandigram violence and to press the demand for cancellation of visa of Taslima Nasreen. The Home secretary said that the government was contemplating imposing curfew in the violence-hit areas at night.

Source : Agencies