New Delhi: Hitting back, Tata group chief Ratan Tata today accused corporate rivals of funding protests at Singur to sabotage the Rs one-lakh Nano car project, which he felt also fell victim to political cross-fire.

"Certainly it was a political cross-fire... An unfortunate cross-fire," Tata told private television news channel Times Now after announcement of relocation of Nano project to Gujarat within days of controversial exit from West Bengal in the face of stiff political opposition and protest that at times turned violent.

When asked about corporate rivalry, he said sources from corporate rivals issued statements from time to time to fuel the fire with vested interests. It is unfortunate that many political parties (at the national level) supported Mamta Banerjee, whose Trinamool Congress-led the agitation at Singur forced the closure of the project, because their differences with ruling parties in West Bengal.

Source : PTI