Normal life partially hit in 12-hour Bengal bandh by LF

Normal life was partiallyaffected on Friday in West Bengal which saw sporadic incidentsof violence during the 12-hour state-wide bandh called by theLeft Front in protest against police action on its activistsduring their march to the state secretariat.

The bandh, which began at 6 am, took place on a daywhen schools reopened across the state after a gap of 11months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sporadic incidents of violence and road and railblockades were reported from several parts of the state duringthe bandh as activists of the LF and Congress, which lentsupport, picketed and squatted on railway tracks to stop themovement of trains, opfficials said.

In East Bardhaman district, stones were thrown atbuses plying on the road by alleged strike supporters. Whenpolice tried to disperse them a scuffle ensued and severalprotestors were arrested.

In the city bandh supporters tried to break pastpolice barricades on arterial Central Avenue and Jadavpur.

This prompted the police to use force to stop theam and led tothe arrest of a number of them, they said.

Left activists also blocked roads at Hastings,Shyambazar and Moulali areas of the city. There was tensionwhen Congress supporters tried to forcibly shut down shops inJadavpur, the officials said.

An official said SFI activists blocked a portion ofthe road near Jadavpur 8B bus terminus and played football,table tennis and carrom.

Protesters clashed with the police at Barasat andBelgharia in neighbouring North 24 Parganas district, inDurgapur, Mathabhanga in Coochbehar, Dhupguri in Jalpaiguriand Midnapore town, the official said.

In some places like Siliguri, bandh supporters triedto enforce the strike in schools. Party leaders andadminsitrations of the schools stopped the activists fromdoing so.

Left Front leader Sujan Chakraborty said schoolstudents had not been prevented from physically attendingtheir classes.

Massive police presence was witnessed on the roads inthe city during the day to ensure that public transportoperated normally.

Left supporters blocked railway tracks and roads inMalda, Bardhaman, Raiganj, Asansol, Dankuni and parts ofKolkata, besides in North 24 Parganas and Nadia districts.

Suburban train services in the Sealdah division andSouth Eastern Railway's Howrah- Kharagpur section wereaffected as agitators blocked railway tracks at severalstations, Railway spokespersons said.

The CPI(M) claimed that the people of the state hadspontabeously supported the strike call given by the LF.

''The way students and youths (of Left studentorganisations SFI and DYFI on Friday) were beaten up isunprecedented,'' CPI(M) Politburo member Mohammed Salim said.

The Congress echoing Salim said the strike's successproved that the days of the TMC governmentin the state are''numbered''.

Indian Secular Front leader Pirzada Abbas Siddiquitoo extended support to the bandh.

Condemning the police action on Friday, he blamed theTMC government of administrative repression while it opposesthe ''unconstitutional activities'' of the BJP.

West Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghosh said the TMCadministration gave a free run to the CPI(M) and the Congress,and it proves that the ruling party is trying to help them torevive its ground in Bengal.

''We all have seen how the CPI(M) and Congress wereallowed to have a free run. This proves a grand alliance is inthe offing. We have defeated the Grand Alliance (of RJD andCongress) in Biha and we will defeat it in Bengal,'' Ghoshadded. PTI BSM PNT KKKK KK