Kolkata: BJP Calls For 12-Hour Strike Over Police Action During ‘Nabanna Abhiyaan’ Protests; TMC Urges Normalcy

Kolkata: The Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday called for a 12 hours strike on Wednesday over the alleged atrocities of police during the student organizations ‘Nabanna Abhiyaan’. Addressing the media, BJP state president and MoS Sukanta Majumdar urged everyone to make the 12 hours bandh ‘successful’.

“Against the atrocities on the peaceful protestors we are calling a 12 hours strike on Wednesday. This strike is to restore democracy and is against autocratic rule in the state. With folded hands I would urge everyone to make the bandh successful. We all have seen how police have batons charged on peaceful protestors. They (police) didn’t even leave the women and senior citizens,” said Majumdar.

Majumdar also claimed that the protests were not from any political party but from the student organizations with the National Flag. “The Left Front said that they are not in this protest. Though it was a student body protest, the comment of the Left Front proves their connection with Trinamool Congress,” further said the BJP state president.

Countering the saffron camp, Trinamool Congress (TMC) minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said that everything will be normal on Wednesday. “The strike culture has gone from the state after Mamata Banerjee became the Chief Minister. We will keep everything open and I will urge the railways to keep services normal as on Wednesday there is the foundation day of TMC Chhatra Parishad,” said Chandrima.

State Education Minister Bratya Basu said that the protestors should have also conducted a march towards the CBI headquarters as the case of RG Kar rape and murder incident is being probed by the central agency. Supratim Sarkar, ADG (South Bengal) citing Bombay High Court’s order said that ‘forceful bandh is rejected by Bombay High Court’.