Bengal: Fierce Violence Between BJP and TMC Workers as 12-Hour Strike Gets Underway

Kolkata: The 12-hour general strike call given by the Bharatiya Janata Party today (August 28) in Kolkata has been lacklustre response with fierce violence in places and tension over the fact that the Trinamool Congress is scheduled to have a large rally as well during the day.

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Police at various places lathicharged on BJP supporters, many of whom were also beaten up severely by TMC supporters.

The BJP’s strike call is in response to action by the Kolkata Police on agitators of the party during the protest march it organised to the Bengal Secretariat – Nabanna – a day ago. The march was in protest against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the government medical college and hospital, R.G. Kar, on August 9. Latest reports say that a policeman has lost his vision after getting hit by a brick yesterday.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew and party MP is addressing a rally on the occasion of the foundation day of her party, TMC’s student wing, Trinamool Chhatra Parishad, at Mayo Road in Kolkata.

While shops remained open across Kolkata, at Bhatpara in the North 24 Parganas district, former TMC leader and BJP strongman Arjun Singh got into a scuffle with TMC leaders and workers after allegedly trying to shut down a factory. Singh and his supporters engaged in an hour-long face off with TMC leader Somenath Shyam Ichini and his supporters.

Singh, along with BJP bigwig Suvendu Adhikari, have claimed that six rounds of bullets were fired on the cars of two BJP leaders. A car driver and two BJP have been injured, they have claimed. TMC has claimed that the video shared by the BJP leaders is from 2019. The Wire has not been able to independently verify the video.

TMC goon opening fire on eminent BJP Leader Priyangu Pandey’s vehicle at Bhatpara. The driver of the vehicle is shot.
This is how Mamata Banerjee & TMC are trying to force BJP off the street. The Bandh is successful and people have supported it wholeheartedly. The toxic cocktail… pic.twitter.com/mOGsLnk9jh

— Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) August 28, 2024

Local reports say BJP workers have been blocking railway lines and roadways at various places. State BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar has posted footage of workers blocking rail lines at Mankundu station in Hooghly.

News channels showed BJP leaders visiting shops in Koley Market, asking shopkeepers to down shutters.

At Raigunj, a BJP worker bit a policeman, the news channel ABP Ananda reported.