BJP and TMC trade charges as shutdown hits W Bengal

West Bengal yesterday witnessed sporadic violence and vandalism in some districts and disruption in train services during a shutdown enforced by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.Life though remained largely unaffected in Kolkata and other cities.The shutdown’s impact was mostly felt in parts of North Dinajpur district where two men were killed during a clash last week between agitating students and police over teachers’ recruitment at a state-run school.The locals claimed the men died in police firing, which they denied.The BJP called for the shutdown against the killings and demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation.The BJP supporters blocked roads with tree trunks and burning tyres in the Islampur area in the district. A number of state-run buses were vandalised and set on fire.Women and youths, armed with bamboo sticks and iron rods, were seen obstructing the traffic.As the day progressed, clashes between ruling Trinamool Congress and BJP supporters were reported from various places, including Cooch Behar, South 24 Parganas and Nadia districts. The police resorted to a baton charge and used tear gas to disperse the mob.A large group of protesters clashed with the police in Malda’s Englishbazar area when the police tried to remove a blockade. The mob threw stones at police vehicles and chased them away with wooden sticks.Train services were substantially disrupted in both Sealdah and Howrah divisions of the Eastern Railway.Forty-two pairs of suburban trains were cancelled as agitators squatted on tracks.An unspecified number of state-run buses were vandalised in Howrah and Cooch Behar districts.In Kolkata, people hit the streets in the morning and many public and private buses, taxis and auto-rickshaws were running normally. However, many shops remained closed.A state bus was vandalised and set on fire in central Kolkata’s Brabourne Road in the afternoon.The BJP leadership took out a rally in central Kolkata. Party’s state president Dilip Ghosh, state women’s wing president Locket Chatterjee and senior leader Rahul Sinha were present at the rally.“We demand to know from the chief minister as to why innocent youths were killed by her police. We want to know why no action has been taken against the offenders so far,” Ghosh said and blamed Trinamool Congress activists for the violence.Another party leader Roopa Ganguly claimed the shutdown call had received spontaneous backing from common people across the state.“While buses are available, most of them are running empty... none of the buses remain empty during office hours on a normal day. This shows people are spontaneously supporting the shutdown,” Ganguly said.The state government had earlier issued a circular that its offices would remain open and no leave would be granted. It also urged banks and educational institutions to remain open.Additional police were deployed throughout the state to prevent violence.Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of creating disturbances, torturing people in the name of shutdown and claimed that people had rejected the call.“It (BJP) is a shameless party. The way its leaders are speaking... they brought hooligans from outside and killed two of my students... can this be the activity of a political party? Bengal people have now totally turned against the culture of shutdown,” said Banerjee, who is visiting Milan in Italy seeking foreign investments for the state.She said that attendance in government offices was 95% during the day, which above the daily average.The chief minister warned that police will take stern action against those who indulged in hooliganism and violence.Banerjee also asked the police to enforce the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Act, 2017, that makes those burning, looting and damaging properties liable for punishment and compensating for the losses.The law was passed by the assembly last year amid a walkout by the opposition Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) lawmakers.