As a crucial public meeting of the anti-power grid agitators was held in West Bengal’s Bhangar on Thursday, nearly 100 political activists, students and supporters of the movement were arrested or detained here on their way, the leaders of the agitation alleged.

The leaders, at the meeting, criticised the arrest of their activists en route to Bhangar as the state government’s ploy to foil their movement and said there would be interventions on behalf of the committee in the upcoming panchayat elections.

The meeting organised by ‘Jomi, Jibika, Bastutantra o Poribesh Raksha Committee (committee to protect land, livelihood, ecology and environment)’ that is leading the movement in the region, witnessed massive gathering by the locals and was attended by CPI-M leader Sujan Chakraborty, CPI-ML leader Alik Chakraborty and other Left wing leaders in Bhangar’s Natunhat.

Condemning the arrest of 12 political activists, associated with anti-power grid movement in Assam, the agitation leaders demanded their immediate and unconditional release.

“CPI-ML Red Star leader Raju Singh and 11 activists from anti-power grid movement in Assam, who had come to attend today’s meeting in Bhangar, have been arrested by the special task force of Kolkata police in Belgharia today. We condemn the arrest,” CPI-ML Liberation said in a press release.

“Police have detained the full team of democratic activists going to Bhangar today. A group of nearly 100 students and activists were held from Kolkata’s Chinar park area in the morning and were taken to Baguiati police station where they were kept for more than two hours before being released,” Sarmistha Chowdhury, leader of CPI-ML Red Star that has been backing the movement, said.

Police said 70 people were detained for questioning as they gathered without any prior information but claimed the detention has nothing to do with the meeting in Bhangar.

“So many people gathered on the roads without any proper information. We wanted to know the reason of gathering but they refused to reply. So we had to detain them for interrogation. However, they were released later,” a senior officer from Baguiati police station said.