West Bengal: CPI(M),BJP call strike 'successful', TMC rejects claim

The Left Front, the BJP and trade unions on Thursday termed the 12-hour general strike in West Bengal as "an unprecedented success", while the ruling Trinamool Congress described the bandh in the state as an "utter failure". 

Normal life was partially affected across the state by a 12-hour general strike called by Left parties and trade unions as well as a 10-hour bandh called by the BJP to protest against alleged violence by ruling Trinamool Congress in the recent civic polls.

"The strike has been an unprecedented success in Bengal. The people have openly come out in support of the strike. The success of the strike proves that the masses too are angry and disenchanted with the TMC over anarchy and violence let loose by TMC during the KMC and municipal polls," Bose said while addressing a media conference.

"The TMC has tried to use all kinds of forces, from administration, goons and money power to foil the strike. They even ransacked buses which didn't ply today. Since last two days they have been threatening traders and transport operators not to support the strike," Bose alleged.

TMC secretary-general and state education minister Partha Chatterjee termed the strike as an utter failure, saying the people are against halting the development process in the state. "The strike has been a complete failure and the people of the state are against the backdated culture of strikes and bandhs. The sinister agenda of the opposition CPI(M) and BJP has been foiled by the masses. Those who do not enjoy any mass support are trying to stop the development of the state," Chatterjee said.

A large fleet of state-run buses plied although the number of passengers was less. Private buses and taxis were also seen on the streets though their number was less compared to other working days. Train services on the Eastern and South Eastern railway were normal although Eastern railway officials here said that suburban services in the Sealdah south section were hit for sometime in the morning due to blockades at some stations.

Metro Rail services were operating normally, Metro officials said. Shops, markets and business establishments at some areas remained closed. State secretariat sources said that government offices here including "Nabanna", the secretariat, recorded 95 per cent attendance while it was 98 per cent in the government offices in the districts.

Airport sources said that flights of Air India and other airlines operated normally to and from N S C Bose International Airport. However, passengers at the airport faced inconvenience due to inadequate number of taxis available at the airport. A senior Kolkata Police official said, "Although buses are plying, the number of passengers was less." A state-run bus was damaged on College Street in north Kolkata and another at Golabari in Howrah district, the police said.

BJP state President Rahul Sinha today said the strike was complete success as it was not confined within the limits of any political party. "The strike has been a complete success as it was not confined within the limits of any political party. The people themselves has been made this strike a successful. The way the police has tried to foil the strike is condemnable," said Sinha. 

Left Front chairman Biman Bose slammed the government for being insensitive towards the students of certain universities, where scheduled exams were not postponed. "There has been no such precedence since Independence that exams have not been postponed whenever there has been a strike call. But this time the government being adamant played with the future of the students as exams in various universities were not postponed. This is a shame," Bose said.

In Jadavpur University and Calcutta University, examinations for graduate courses were held as scheduled.

Chatterjee, however, claimed that the students have given a befitting reply to the opposition, with 100 per cent attendance in the examination centres. CITU state president Shyamal Chakraborty claimed the strike to be 100 per cent successful.

"The strike has been a 100 per cent success. It is after a gap of more than 30 years that both the working class and the common people have jointly protested against the anarchic TMC regime by supporting the strike," Chakraborty said. Bose said the hundreds of Left supporters and workers were illegally detained and arrested by the police, when peaceful rallies were taken out by the Left parties in the district.

"The police was used to foil the strike and propagate that shopkeepers should keep their shop open. They have even arrested several party workers and cadres in the districts of the state. Former Left Front MP Saman Pathak was also arrested by police in North Bengal," Bose said. Chakraborty said that due to threat of TMC, some buses were forced to ply on the roads but later on those buses were withdrawn due to lack of passengers.

IGP (law and order) Anuj Sharma said that 985 arrests, including 963 preventive, were made in connection with the strike. The factories in the Asansol-Durgapur industrial belt and in Haldia kept their gates open and workers reported for duty to maintain production at the units.

Burdwan district magistrate Soumitra Mohan said that industries like IISCO, Durgapur Steel Plant and collieries in Asansol and Durgapur areas were functioning normally. Loading and unloading operations in the collieries were normal, he said, adding, loading and unloading operations at both the Haldia Dock Complex and Kolkata port were also normal.

A Burdwan report said that CPI(M) and ruling TMC members clashed at Asansol in Burdwan district where 11 CPI(M) workers were arrested from two areas in the industrial belt. In Siliguri, a large number of Left and BJP supporters blocked roads.

CPI(M) leader Saman Pathak, along with 12 CITU members, were arrested by the Siliguri police for blocking roads. According to a report received from Jalpaiguri, 20 people, including CPI(M) district secretary Salil Acharya, were arrested for picketing at the North Bengal State Corporation bus stand.

A Birbhum report quoting police sources said that a photographer attached to a Kolkata-based Bengali daily was beaten up by ruling party supporters when he was taking photograph of the assault of a CPI(M) worker during bandh.