NEW DELHI: A day after 14 people were killed in police firing in Nandigram, the Union Government on Thursday asked the West Bengal Government to talk to all concerned to assuage their feelings and take all possible steps to defuse the situation.

After studying a report from the State Government, the Home Ministry assured that all possible assistance would be given to West Bengal for restoring normality in the area.

Top officials of the Ministry were in touch with the State Government and had asked it to take swift measures to provide relief to the next of the kin of those killed and those injured, a Home Ministry spokesperson said.

The State Government's four-page report said that when police tried to enter the area to restore law and order, villagers hurled bricks and bombs and used firearms. Following this, the police opened fire in self-defence.

NHRC seeks report

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sent a notice to the State Chief Secretary and Director-General of Police, seeking a factual report on the "police violence" in Nandigram.

Taking suo motu cognisance of media reports, the NHRC said the reports raised a serious issue of human rights violation. It gave two weeks to the Chief Secretary and the DGP to submit a report and asked them to indicate whether any ex-gratia was provided to the next of the kin of those killed.

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