Normal life was partially affected in West Bengal as the BJP called for a statewide 12-hour bandh (strike) to protest against the police action on agitators who took part in the march to the state secretariat 'Nabanna' over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata.
Clashes between Trinamool and BJP workers were reported in the outskirts of Kolkata. A BJP leader claimed TMC supporters attacked and fired on his car in Bhatpara in North 24 Parganas.
In Kolkata, a lesser number of buses and cabs were seen plying on the roads as compared to a normal weekday. Several BJP workers were detained in the state capital as they tried to enforce the bandh by shutting down shops. The West Bengal government has urged people not to respond to the BJP's 6 am–6 pm general strike.
The Bengal bandh did not have much of an effect in Kolkata, even though the normal weekday morning buzz was missing on the streets. A lesser number of buses, auto-rickshaws and taxis were seen plying on the roads even though markets and shops remained open.
Schools and colleges were open. Most private offices, however, asked their employees to work from home. Train services were also disrupted between Bangaon-Sealdah, Gocharan station, Murshidabad station, and Barrackpore station.
Heavy police deployment was seen on the streets. Seven BJP workers were detained while they were forcefully trying to shut the gates of Shyambazar metro station in Kolkata.
In Nadia district, Trinamool and BJP workers clashed during the 12-hour shutdown. BJP leader Priyangu Pandey claimed TMC supporters attacked and fired on his car in Bhatpara. "Priyangu Pandey's car was attacked. The driver has been shot... 7 rounds of firing were done. This was done in the presence of the ACP. Two people are injured, one among them is serious," said BJP leader Arjun Singh.
In north Bengal, drivers of the state-run North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) buses were seen wearing helmets. "We are wearing helmets because of the bandh called by the BJP today. The department has given us the helmets to wear for safety," a driver told ANI.
At Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district, BJP activists blocked roads, disrupting traffic. BJP activists also demonstrated at the Bankura town bus stand.
In Bhabanipur, BJP MLA Agnimitra Pal urged people not to take out their vehicles. "They have all become spineless. Police have invalidated the orders of the Supreme Court... They used water canons mixed with chemicals on the protestors... They are unable to provide safety to women of the state and when women protest, they use force to disperse them," she said.
The Bengal government has issued a notification stating that all government offices would remain open, and all employees would have to report for duty or face a show-cause notice.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she was dedicating the foundation day of Trinamool Chhatra Parishad to the 31-year-old trainee doctor who was raped and killed at the state-run RG Kar Hospital.
On Tuesday, large-scale violence rocked Kolkata during a 'Nabanna Abhijan' protest march called by a newly floated student body, which demanded the resignation of Chief Mamata Banerjee. More than 200 people were arrested from across the state.
Source: India Today