Bengal Bandh | State to amend laws, ensure death penalty to rapists: Mamata

Daily life was somewhat affected in parts of West Bengal on Wednesday (August 28) due to a 12-hour shutdown called by the BJP in protest against the police action against demonstrators during the ‘Nabanna Abhijan’, a march to the state Secretariat.

In state capital Kolkata, the usual busyness on the roads on a weekday morning was missing with a fewer number of buses, auto-rickshaws and taxis plying. Private vehicles were also significantly less in numbers, even as markets and shops remained open as usual.

Schools and colleges remained open, while in most private offices, attendance was lesser with employees being asked to work from home.

Demonstrations, road blockades by BJP

In Bhabanipur, BJP MLA Agnimitra Pal urged people with folded hands not to take out their vehicles.

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.

BJP workers blocked the way of a local train in Hooghly station.

At Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district, BJP activists picketed on the road, disrupting traffic.

In Malda, activists of the TMC and BJP engaged in a brawl over the blocking of a road. Police swung into action to disperse the warring groups.

BJP activists demonstrated at the Bankura town bus stand.

Scuffle with police

In Alipurduar, BJP activists engaged in a scuffle with the police as they tried to block an arterial road, shouting slogans such as 'dafa ek dabi ek, mukhyomantrir padatyag' (single demand, the chief minister must resign).

The 'Bangla Bandh', which began at 6 am, was called by the BJP in protest against police action on the participants of 'Nabanna Abhijan' on Tuesday, demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the rape and murder of the doctor at RG Kar hospital.

Don’t respond to bandh call: Govt urges public

The West Bengal government on Tuesday urged people not to respond to BJP’s 6am–6pm general strike.

“The government will not allow any bandh on Wednesday. We urge people not to participate in it. All steps shall be taken to ensure that normal life is unaffected,” said Alapan Bandopadhyay, the chief advisor to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Shortly afterwards, the state issued a notification stating that all government offices would remain open and all employees, except those facing exigencies or are on leave, would have to report for duty on August 28 or face show-cause for their unauthorised absence.

The top brass of Bengal police cited multiple judgments of various high courts which termed bandhs called by political parties “illegal”.

How rally to Nabanna turned violent

The call to march to Nabanna, the state Secretariat, was given by the Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj and employees’ platform Sangrami Joutha Mancha.

The chief demand of the protesters was the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

However, violence marred the cries for justice for the rape and murder victim after protestors, aiming to reach Nabanna, scuffled with police at multiple stoppage points.

The violence, which lasted for nearly four hours, led to several injuries on both sides with senior police officers and women protestors among those who were hurt. More than 200 people were arrested from across the state, police said.

Protestors took to incessant pelting of stones and glass bottles on the police at several spots where their progress was stopped. Fifteen personnel of the Kolkata Police and 14 from the state police force were injured in the clashes, police said.

Police action on protesters

Police resorted to large-scale lathi-charge, unleashed water cannons and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the aggressive crowd who poured in from multiple converging points at Nabanna.

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari alleged that over 160 protestors, including 17 women, suffered injuries in the police action.

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