Police fire on protesters in West Bengal, 4 dead

KOLKATA (Reuters) - Police in West Bengal opened fire on Tuesday on protesters demanding jobs and the cancellation of plans to set up industrial zones on farming land, killing at least four villagers and seriously injuring 25 people.

A rally organised by the Forward Bloc, an ally of the ruling Communist-led West Bengal government, turned violent after protestors tried to force their way into a government building, police and witnesses said.

The deaths could be another political headache for West Bengal's government, a key backer of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which has lost support over the last year after a series of protests over its plans to industrialise the state.

Protestors set two police vehicles on fire and stopped traffic in Dinhata town after police beat some villagers with batons, residents and local media said.

"They suddenly became very unruly, leaving us with no choice but to fire a few rounds to disperse the mob," said Ravinder Jeet Singh Nalwa, a senior police officer.

The Forward Bloc and other political parties have called a 24-hour strike in the state on Wednesday to protest against the Dinhata killings.

"It is a barbaric act by the police and we strongly condemn the attack on our supporters," said Naren Chattopadhyay, a senior Forward Bloc leader.

The state government was forced to abort a so-called special economic zone (SEZ) in the state's Nandigram area last year, as villagers refused to give up their farmland.

Although the project has been shelved, political hostilities have not abated and at least 35 villagers have been killed in clashes between locals and communist workers over the last year.

The West Bengal government has put all SEZs on hold in the state. But it is still inviting companies to invest in at least six proposed SEZ projects, leading to protests by parties who question the government's motives.