(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called for a 12-hour Bengal bandh on Wednesday (August 28) following violent clashes between protesters and Kolkata Police during the Nabanna Abhijan rally on Tuesday. The rally, organized to demand the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was in response to the alleged mishandling of a rape and murder case involving a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
The protest, which saw participants marching towards the state secretariat, quickly escalated as demonstrators overturned barricades, prompting police to use lathi charges, water cannons, and tear gas to disperse the crowd. The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) accused the protesters of inciting violence, suggesting that the BJP was behind the unrest.
Kolkata horror: More than 200 people arrested after 'Nabanna Abhijan' protests turn violent
In response to the clashes, BJP national president JP Nadda condemned the actions of the Kolkata Police on social media, saying, "The images of police highhandedness from Kolkata have angered every person who values democratic principles. In Didi's West Bengal, to help rapists and criminals is valued, but it's a crime to speak for women's safety."
BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar, who participated in a protest outside Kolkata police headquarters in Lalbazar on Tuesday, announced the bandh. He expressed outrage over the detention of students involved in the Nabanna Abhijan rally and criticized the police's use of force against what he described as a "democratic, peaceful protest."
"The police and Mamata Banerjee have unleashed violence on the student agitation. They have lathi-charged, used tear gas, and used water cannons on the democratic, peaceful protest... Our demand is simple: the students who have been arrested by the police should be released," Majumdar said in a statement. The bandh is set to begin at 6 am on August 28.
BRS leader K Kavitha walks out of Tihar jail after 5 months, says did not make any mistake, will fight (WATCH)
However, the West Bengal government has assured that the administration will work to ensure that the bandh does not disrupt daily life. While schools, colleges, government offices, and banks are expected to remain open, there may be disruptions due to the strike affecting traffic. Essential services such as medical care, drinking water, public transport, rail services, and electricity are likely to operate as usual.
The BJP has also called on business organizations to keep markets closed, but the West Bengal government has said that normalcy will be maintained, and no official closures will take place due to the opposition-led strike.
MENAFN28082024007385015968ID1108608776
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.