Kolkata: The 12-hour bandh in West Bengal, called by the BJP to protest the death of two students in alleged police firing in Islampur last week, has turned violent. Buses have been vandalised in Purulia, Howrah, Hooghly and in West Midnapore districts, railway tracks blocked and at least 20 BJP supporters have been arrested.
Commuters are facing inconvenience as rail services at Sealdah South and Howrah have been disrupted by the bandh supporters. Protest demonstrations were held at Diamond Harbour and in Canning in South 24-Parganas on the railway track. Clashes broke out when the police tried to quell the protestors to resume the rail service.
At least nine buses were attacked and drivers manhandled allegedly by the BJP supporters in Cooch Behar, Howrah, West Midnapur, Purulia and Hooghly districts.
BJP state president Dilip Ghosh, said, “TMC and the police will be responsible for any untoward incident today. We called the bandh because we lost two young lives in police firing. I request everyone support our cause.”
At Barasat in North 24-Parnagas, BJP supporters clashed with the TMC workers when they tried to block the Taki rail line. A large contingent of police rushed to spot and chased the workers away. A female BJP supporter was allegedly thrashed by the TMC supporters.
In Islampur, where two students were shot dead in a clash, the local administration has requested people to maintain law and order.
BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargia and general secretary Rahul Sinha will take out a protest rally from state BJP office at Murlidhar Sen Lane in the morning.
All government offices, schools and colleges have been kept open amid tight security. TMC minister Partha Chatterjee said that stern action will be taken against BJP if they are found violating the law and order situation in Bengal.
In Kolkata and adjoining areas, the situation is largely normal. In some areas police lathicharged the protestors, which aggravated the tension.
The BJP does not have a strong base in West Bengal and its presence in the state was hardly felt. Today’s bandh is a challenge for them to make it a major success.
Two students, Rajesh Sarkar and Tapas Barman, were shot dead during a clash on September 20. The BJP alleged that they were shot dead by the police. The police has, however, denied the allegations.
Comments
0 comment