Bengal Bandh: BJP’s 12-hour protest evokes massive response, trains stopped, shops shut
Kolkata: The 12-hour general strike called by BJP in West Bengal on Wednesday has made a major impact on normal life in pockets of the state.
The strike from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. has been called to condemn police action on the protesters who participated in the ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ (March to Bengal Secretariat) rally on Tuesday. The march was called to protest against the ghastly rape and murder of a woman doctor on the premises of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata earlier this month.
The worst affected were suburban train services both at the Howrah and two sections of the Sealdah divisions, as BJP supporters blocked the railway at several places. Due to this a number of local trains remained static for a long time there.
At several places, there were minor scuffles between BJP supporters and the police personnel as the latter tried to remove the blockades. In many places, the BJP supporters even sat on the railway tracks and the police personnel had a tough time in removing them.
At the time the report was filed reports of rail blockades had surfaced from different pockets of West Bengal, including South 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Murshidabad, Nadia and North 24 Parganas.
At certain places, scuffles broke out between BJP and Trinamool Congress supporters as the latter hit the streets since morning to oppose the general strike. Such scuffles between the ruling and opposition party supporters have been reported from places like Konangar in Hooghly district and Asansol in West Burdwan district.
Reports of damage to public vehicles have also been reported from the Cooch Behar district.
The state government has already announced that it would compensate merchants and business establishments that might be affected by possible violence over the 12-hour general strike.
Incidentally, Wednesday’s strike coincides with the foundation day programme of Trinamool Congress’s students’ wing, Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) and the Chief Minister herself is slated to address a gathering on the occasion.
A crucial meeting of the state cabinet is also scheduled on Wednesday.