Partial response to Bharat Bandh in WB

Party MLA Manoj Chakraborty said, The Modi government should not play with fire and withdraw the anti-farmer bills. Roads were also blocked by Left and Congress supporters at Madhyamgram Chowmatha in North 24 Parganas district, Panskura in West Medinipur, Bali in Howrah district, Baharampur in Murshidabad, at Nimta on Belgharia Expressway in the city and Kharagpur among many other places as police tried to persuade them to allow vehicular movement.Shouting slogans denouncing the farm laws enacted by the Centre, they blocked railway tracks at Jadavpur and Madhyamgram in Eastern Railways Sealdah section and Rishra in Howrah section.

Supporters of the Congress and Left parties on Tuesday blocked railway tracks at several places and staged sit-ins on roads in West Bengal to enforce the nationwide shutdown evoking a partial response. The Bharat Bandh, called by the agitating farmers unions against the Centres farm laws, partially affected the state with private vehicles remaining off the roads, while public transport, including buses and taxis, operating fewer than usual.

The ruling Trinamool Congress has supported the shutdown. Senior party leader Subrata Mukherjee said its activists launched street protests in 354 blocks of state from Tuesday. Party supremo Mamata Banerjee said at a meeting in Raniganj, ''We don't support bandhs. But this time we have extended support as it is about the farmers' issues.'' In Kolkata, CPI(M) activists along with SFI and DYFI members blocked roads in Lake Town, College Street, Jadavpur and Shyambazar five-point crossing.

At Moulali crossing Congress activists blocked the road for some time in the morning. Party MLA Manoj Chakraborty said, ''The Modi government should not play with fire and withdraw the anti-farmer bills.'' Roads were also blocked by Left and Congress supporters at Madhyamgram Chowmatha in North 24 Parganas district, Panskura in West Medinipur, Bali in Howrah district, Baharampur in Murshidabad, at Nimta on Belgharia Expressway in the city and Kharagpur among many other places as police tried to persuade them to allow vehicular movement.

Shouting slogans denouncing the farm laws enacted by the Centre, they blocked railway tracks at Jadavpur and Madhyamgram in Eastern Railways Sealdah section and Rishra in Howrah section. At Jadavpur, senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty led a rally along the S C Mallick Road.

Left Front chairman Biman Bose, who led a rally in support of the bandh in the city, said ''Almost all the parties have joined the protest against this draconian bill.'' In Siliguri, veteran CPI-M leader Ashok Bhattacharya led a rally in the morning enforcing the bandh call. Meanwhile, certain parts of north Bengal, where the BJP has called a 12-hour shutdown over the death of its supporter during a rally on Monday, wore a deserted look.

BJP supporters picketed before the Coochbehar bus terminus and blocked roads at Jalpaiguri, Malda and Mathabhanga among other places. In Siliguri BJP supporters tore and set on fire TMC posters and flexes at Airview More in the morning hours.

In apparent retaliation, TMC activists tore BJP flags at nearby Venus More and marched to Airview More. There was, however, no clash as a police force was present. Few vehicles plied in Siliguri and nearby Jalpaiguri while many shops downed shutters.