Normal life partially affected in 12-hour Bengal bandh called by Left Front

Normal life in West Bengal waspartially affected on Friday due to the 12-hour state-widebandh called by the Left Front in protest against policeaction on its activists during their march towards statesecretariat Nabanna.

Schools in the state are scheduled to reopen duringthe day for students of classes 9-12 after a gap of 11 months.

They were shut in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Left cadre blocked railway tracks and roads in Malda,Barddhaman, Raiganj, Asansol, Dankuni and parts of Kolkata,North 24 Parganas and Nadia districts during the bandh thatbegan at 6 am.

Protestors burnt tyres at some places, and offeredroses to policemen in other areas.

Left activists demanding jobs clashed with police incentral Kolkata's Esplanade area on Thursday as they tried tobreak through barricades during their march towards Nabanna,leading to injuries to several participants and also thepolice.

Calling for bandh in protest against the ''brutalattack'' by the police, Left Front chairman Biman Bose hadclaimed that over 150 students and young men and women wereinjured.

Massive police presence was witnessed on the roadsduring the day to ensure that public transport functionednormally.

Left Front leader Sujan Chakraborty said that peoplehave spontaneously responded in favour of the bandh.

He said that school students have not been preventedfrom physically attending their classes.

Meanwhile, Indian Secular Front leader Pirzada AbbasSiddiqui extended support to the bandh.

Condemning the police action, he alleged that the TMCgovernment conducts administrative repression even as itopposes the ''unconstitutional activities'' of the Centre.