Kolkata: The 12-hour statewide strike, a planned protest by the BJP in West Bengal on Wednesday, has significantly disrupted daily life in parts of the state.
However, as per various media reports, this strike is also supported by the ordinary citizens of West Bengal as they are angry at the rape and murder of the woman doctor at RG Kar Hospital. People also disagreed with the police actions on the students and protesters yesterday when they tried to march to the state secretariat Nabanna.
The strike from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. has been called to condemn police action on Tuesday’s protesters who participated in the ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ (March to Bengal Secretariat) rally. The march was called to protest against the ghastly rape and murder of a woman doctor on the premises of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata earlier this month.
The strike, lasting from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., has affected daily life and the state’s infrastructure. Suburban train services in the Howrah and two sections of the Sealdah divisions were severely disrupted, and a number of local trains remained stationary for a long time due to blockades by BJP supporters.
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At several places, there were minor scuffles between BJP supporters and police personnel as the latter tried to remove the blockades. In many places, the BJP supporters even sat on the railway tracks, and the police had a tough time removing them.
At the time the report was filed, reports of rail blockades had surfaced from different pockets of West Bengal, including South 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Murshidabad, Nadia and North 24 Parganas.
At certain places, scuffles broke out between BJP and Trinamool Congress supporters as the latter hit the streets since morning to oppose the general strike. The scuffles were a result of the opposing views on the strike, with Trinamool Congress supporters believing it was unnecessary and disruptive, while BJP supporters saw it as a necessary protest against the state government’s handling of the recent rape and murder case. Such scuffles between the ruling and opposition party supporters have been reported from places like Konangar in Hooghly district and Asansol in West Burdwan district.
Meanwhile, reports of damage to public vehicles have also been reported from the Cooch Behar district.
The strike has taken a violent turn, with a BJP leader being shot at in Bhatpara (Barrackpur). TMC workers also took to the streets in North 24 Parganas to protest against the strike called by the BJP.
The state government has already announced that it will compensate merchants and business establishments that might be affected by violence during the 12-hour general strike.
Incidentally, Wednesday’s strike coincides with the foundation day programme of Trinamool Congress’s students’ wing, Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP). This is a significant event for the party, and the Chief Minister herself is slated to address a gathering on the occasion, which could be affected by the strike.
A crucial meeting of the state cabinet is also scheduled on Wednesday.
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–IANS & Media Reports
