West Bengal civic polls: BJP calls 12-hour bandh on Monday to protest against 'widespread rigging, violence'

Kolkata: Following violence in the civic polls, BJP had called for a 12 hour strike on Monday.

According to BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar the BJP will hit the streets in favor of the strike.

“Till TMC is in power, elections can never happen democratically. From aged BJP leaders to young supporters no one was spared. The police just sided with the ruling Trinamool Congress. To protest the violence we have called for a 12 hours strike from 6am to 6 pm,” said Majumdar.

It can be noted that a BJP delegation also met the State Election Commission (SEC) and submitted a deputation urging the SEC to call the poll at 108 civic bodies ‘null and void’ as according to them the Trinamool Congress had ‘looted’ votes.

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said that he will go for a ‘legal battle’ against the alleged violence.

“Not 20 years, TMC will soon be wiped out from the state. I have collected all the evidence and will go for a legal battle. Violence in the Panchayat election in 2018 was nothing in comparison to civic polls this year. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election TMC will be wiped off,” said Adhikari.

While Congress supported the strike called by the saffron camp, TMC said they will go all out to disrupt the strike.

According to Congress state president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury the ‘issue’ on which the BJP had called the strike is worth ‘supporting’.

TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee claimed that the ‘Bandh is being called to create unnecessary violence’.

“BJP is conspiring to disrupt peace in the state. The TMC will not give in to the trap created by the saffron camp and will oppose the strike,” said Chatterjee.

Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Mayor Firhad Hakim said that the TMC will hold rallies across the state ‘nullifying’ the strike called by the BJP.

“As a matter of principle, the State Government is opposed to Strikes or Bandhs, as it disrupts normal life and causes inconvenience to the people and affects their livelihood. In view of the above, the State Government has decided that government and private establishments, schools and colleges, shops, markets, industrial establishments, transport etc will remain open and function normally,” said Hakim.

According to a notice flouted by the state secretariat Nabanna, “All State Government offices including Panchayati Raj institutions, Municipal Bodies, Educational Institutions and all those provided with Grants-in Aid by the State Government shall remain open. All the employees should report for duty and no leave would be granted to any employee on the date of bandh. Absence on the Bandh day will be treated as 'dies non' and no salary will be admissible,” read the letter.

However, state police DG Manoj Malviya said the state police will take ‘strict action’ if anyone tries to ‘forcibly’ try to impose a strike.