One person was killed and 16 others injured following a clash between displaced villagers of a steel plant and police on Wednesday at Kalinga Nagar in Jajpur district of Orissa.
The incident occurred four years after 14 people were killed in police firing while opposing land acquisition in Kalinga Nagar, about 100 km north of Bhubaneswar.
While the displaced villagers said the person was hit by a police bullet, the police said he died of sun stroke.
Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said: “I am informed that none has died in police firing... We will try to avoid violence as far as industrialisation is concerned.”
The Congress, however, alleged that such incidents had been occurring time and again. “The government should take responsibility of the incidents and give explanations. The CM should resign,” said Congress spokesperson Sarat Rout.
Reports said the incident occurred when some of the displaced villagers of a steel plant, now staying in a rehabilitation centre, entered their village to take out their household belongings under police protection.