Bangla Bandh: BJP calls ‘Bangla bandh’ to protest police crackdown on Nabanna demonstrators
Bangla Bandh: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced a 12-hour general strike (Bangla Bandh) in West Bengal on Wednesday, from 6 am to 6 pm, in response to the police action against protesters who marched to the state secretariat, Nabanna, on Tuesday.
The demonstrators were demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee following the recent rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata earlier this month.
Sukanta Majumdar, the BJP’s state president and Union Minister, stated that the bandh was necessary to challenge what he described as the “autocratic regime” of Mamata Banerjee. He accused her Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of ignoring the public’s demand for justice in the case and using force against peaceful protesters.
#WATCH | North 24 Parganas | TMC Party workers protest against BJP’s 12-hour ‘Bengal Bandh’ call for today.
Train services were disrupted between Bangaon-Sealdah which is now being reinstated pic.twitter.com/ISyiQqBlv6
— ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2024
Bengal’s Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, also criticized the police for what he termed as excessive force, including the use of batons, tear gas, and water cannons against the protesters as they attempted to reach Nabanna to demand the Chief Minister’s resignation.
Ahead of the bandh, Suvendu Adhikari warned that the BJP would “bring the entire state to a halt” to make their point.
The BJP has set up a helpline to provide legal assistance to those who were arrested during the Nabanna protest, underscoring their commitment to supporting the demonstrators.
In response to the bandh call, the ruling Trinamool Congress accused the BJP of exploiting the tragic incident for political gain. TMC leader Kunal Ghosh claimed that the BJP was using the situation to create unrest in the state and suggested that the ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ student protests were instigated by the BJP from the start.
Ghosh expressed confidence that the people of West Bengal would see through the BJP’s tactics and ensure that normal life would continue uninterrupted.
Meanwhile, the state government has assured the public that all necessary measures would be taken to prevent disruptions due to the bandh. Alapan Bandopadhyay, the Chief Advisor to Mamata Banerjee, urged citizens to refrain from participating in the strike. He assured that transport services would remain operational, and shops, markets, and other businesses have been instructed to stay open. State government employees have also been advised to attend work as usual to maintain normalcy.
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