KOLKATA, Aug 28 : Amid lobbying of tear gas shells and baton charges by the police and clashes betwen workers of the Opposition BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress, the 12-hour shutdown called by the saffron outfit in West Bengal disrupted normal life partially on Wednesday.
Private vehicles and taxis stayed away from the roads, private offices and educational institutions reported low attendance and many markets and commercial establishments kept their shutters down. Train services were hit in some parts of the state, but the metro railway ran normally in the city and its surrounding areas.
Starting 6 am, reports of scuffles between BJP and Trinamool Congress supporters kept pouring in from different districts while the Calcutta High Court dismissed a petition against the bandh called by the BJP in protest against “police atrocities” on agitating students on Tuesday.
The students had on Tuesday participated in a protest March to Nabanna (the state secretariat) on Tuesday demanding justice for a lady medic raped and murdered in the premier R G Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
Clashes took place during Wednesday’s bandh in Kolkata’s Munshi Bazaar and Nadia district, among other areas. Many saffron party leaders were detained across the state even as BJP leader Priyangu Pandey from North 24 Parganas claimed that his car was shot at and attacked with bombs by Trinamool Congress supporters.
In the state capital Kolkata, 76 people – 64 men and 12 women – were arrested for breach of law and order, police said. The cops, in full riot gear, burst tear gas shells and rained batons to disperse clashing supporters of the BJP and TMC in several locations.
A warning by the Mamata Banerjee government on the eve of the shutdown ensured normal attendance in most government offices, including the secretariat.
In many districts, BJP supporters were seen on the streets from the morning appealing to people to shut down their establishments. Some TMC activists tried to oppose the shutdown even as both sides were involved in scuffles and clashes.
BJP leaders Rupa Ganguly, Locket Chatterjee, Rahul Sinha and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya were detained in various parts of the state.
Reports reaching Kolkata said train services were affected as bandh supporters blocked tracks in several parts of the state. In Hooghly, BJP supporters climbed a train’s locomotive and hoisted party flags on its windshield.
In North 24 Parganas district, BJP leader Priyangu Pandey claimed TMC goons hurled bombs and fired 6-7 rounds of bullets on his car. Two persons were hurt in the incident, the BJP leader claimed.
There were also claims and counter-claims by political parties on the response to the shutdown.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP of conspiring against her government and dared him to face her democratically.Addressing a gathering on the 27th foundation day of the party’s student wing, Banerjee hit out at the BJP for calling the shutdown. “We do not support this bandh. We have dedicated this day to the RG Kar doctor. We want justice but BJP today called for a bandh to tarnish the image of the state and disrupt the probe into the hospital murder case,” she said.
Banerjee also announced that a session of the state Assembly would be convened next week and a legislation providing for death penalty to rapists would be passed within ten days.
Trinamool National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee called the bandh a “flop” but state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar claimed it was a “success”.”Despite opposition from the Mamata Banerjee government and attacks carried out by her party supporters on BJP karyakartas – 1,350 of whom were arrested and 210 wounded – people have shown their overwhelming support against the government repression,” Majumdar said.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Suvendu Adhikari alleged that police brutally lathi-charged and fired tear gas shells on peaceful demonstrators. (UNI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
