Bengal bandh: BJP workers clash with police

Bharatiya Janata Party workers clashed with the police at several places across West Bengal on Wednesday as they tried to enforce a 12-hour shutdown, which had a mixed impact in the state.

Several BJP leaders, including former MPs Roopa Ganguly and Locket Chatterjee, Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya and MLA Agnimitra Paul, were detained for blocking roads since the morning.

The 'Bangla Bandh', which began at 6 am, was called by the BJP in protest against Tuesday's police action on participants of 'Nabanna Abhijan' or march to the secretariat, organised by the newly formed students' group Chatra Samaj over the rape and murder of the doctor at RG Kar hospital.

The shutdown partially affected daily life in the state with many people choosing to remain indoors apprehending trouble on the roads.

In the state capital Kolkata, the usual weekday flurry was missing with a smaller number of buses, auto-rickshaws and taxis plying.

Private vehicles were also significantly less, even as markets and shops remained open.

Schools and colleges were open, though the number of students was fewer. Many English-medium schools in Kolkata suspended classes.

In many private offices, attendance was low with employees asked to work from home. However, attendance was as usual in government offices.

Several BJP leaders were detained across the state for attempting to enforce the shutdown.

Ganguly and Paul were detained from south Kolkata's Gariahat area when they were urging traders to down their shutters and requesting people to support the bandh.

Chatterjee was detained from Shyambazar when she was leading a demonstration, while Bhattacharya was detained from Wipro More in Salt Lake Sector 5.

Kolkata's Ward 50 councillor Sajal Ghosh was detained from his residence in Sealdah shortly after BJP workers scuffled with TMC supporters while trying to enforce the bandh in the nearby Koley Market.

His wife Tania Ghosh then took out a rally, alleging that the police held him without any warrant.

Later, deputy commissioner (Central) Indira Mukherjee said Ghosh was arrested for making provocative comments.

State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar, a Union minister, led a procession at Baguihati in the northern fringes of the city but had an altercation with the police who tried to stop him.

Former MP Debasree Choudhury and hundreds of party workers accompanied him.

Following the demonstration, Majumdar went to central Kolkata and blocked the CR Avenue outside the state BJP headquarters along with his supporters.

He had heated arguments with senior police officers who swung into action to clear the arterial road.

At Alipurduar, BJP MP Manoj Tigga was arrested for allegedly enforcing the bandh.

An official of the Eastern Railway said bandh supporters blocked tracks at 49 places under its jurisdiction in the state.

While the blockades were lifted at most places, it was continuing in nine stations, mostly in the Sealdah South section, he said.

BJP workers demonstrated at the Bongaon station in North 24 Parganas, Gocharan station in South 24 Parganas, and the Murshidabad station in support of the bandh.

Tension was palpable at the Barrackpore station in North 24 Parganas as BJP supporters and TMC workers came face to face.

At Bhatpara in North 24 Parganas district, BJP alleged that two of its workers were shot at.

The police, however, claimed that the two men were beaten up by some people outside Anglo India Jute Mill.

IMAGE: A partially deserted view of a road near Howrah railway station. Photograph: ANI Photo

The injured persons were initially taken to the Bhatpara State General Hospital, but were later shifted to a hospital in Kolkata for better treatment, they said.

Former BJP MP Arjun Singh and Jagaddal's Trinamool Congress MLA Somnath Shyam along with their supporters reached the area after the incident, triggering tensions.

The police intervened and brought the situation under control.

"Miscreants owing allegiance to the Trinamool Congress fired the shots, if police are not around we will show TMC the people's power," Singh said.
Shyam countered by saying that the BJP leader was trying to incite violence in the area.

Picketing by BJP supporters on the roads led to the disruption of public transport services in Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Siliguri and Malda in northern West Bengal, and in Purulia, Bankura and some other places in the southern part of the state.

Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari led a protest march in Nandigram in Purba Medinipur, his home district.

In Malda, activists of the TMC and BJP engaged in a brawl over the blocking of a road. Police intervened to disperse the two groups.