With the Trinamool Congress (TMC) Government taking a “strong stance against bandh culture”, the first day of Left trade unions-sponsored 2-day Bharat Bandh evoked mixed response on Tuesday in Bengal.
While life remained nearly normal in Kolkata reports from districts, particularly industrial towns of Barrackpore, Howrah, Hooghly and Durgapur-Asansol region witnessed low attendance of workers though the factories remained open, sources said.
In Kolkata buses, metro railways and ferry services functioned near-normally presenting a diametrically opposite picture than what it used to be like even a decade ago. While State Government offices saw near total presence of employees, central government offices and banks remained completely closed apparently giving people a trying time.
Railway services particularly the suburban train services were partially affected with the strikers blocking tracks and disrupting power supply at many places in Howrah and Sealdah Division.
Notwithstanding a near-normal picture in most parts of the State strikers clashed with Trinamool supporters and the police at various places even as they vandalised buses and other vehicles at Jadavpur, Sodpur, Rishra, Uttarpara, Barasat, Basirhat, Siliguri etc.
Senior CPI(M) leaders including party Legislative party Leader Sujan Chakrabarty and former State Minister Anadi Sahoo were arrested and later released on bail, police said.
Reacting to the bandh call Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said “we have taken a stand of not supporting any bandh. Enough is enough. In the past 34 years the Left have destroyed the State calling bandhs. Not any more.”
BJP State president Dilip Ghosh thanked the State Government for taking a proactive part in thwarting bandh culture and added “the CPI(M) is trying to find some oxygen before the elections by calling such bandhs but that will not sustain them.”