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Police fire tear gas shells to disperse people during 'Nabanna Abhijan.' (Picture source: PTI) West Bengal Bandh Highlights: Intermittent violence characterized the BJP-led 12-hour shutdown in West Bengal on Wednesday, resulting in a varied impact due to clashes between bandh supporters, police, and Trinamool Congress workers across the state. Significant clashes emerged from Bhatpara in the North 24 Parganas district, where BJP accused TMC members of shooting at the car of local leader Priyangu Pandey, an incident they broadcasted via a video on social media.
While Pandey was unharmed, the driver and another party member reportedly suffered gunshot wounds to their heads and were hospitalized, as per BJP representatives. Authorities reported that the two individuals were assaulted by a group outside the Anglo-India Jute Mill.
This violence led to a confrontation between BJP's Arjun Singh and TMC's Somnath Shyam, escalating tensions as the two groups faced off, making it difficult for police to control the situation. Singh accused TMC-affiliated miscreants of the shooting, threatening to demonstrate the power of the people in the absence of police intervention.
In response, Shyam alleged that Singh was attempting to provoke violence in what was otherwise a peaceful locale. Several BJP figures, including ex-MPs Roopa Ganguly and Locket Chatterjee, Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya, and MLA Agnimitra Paul, were detained for impeding traffic and advocating for the bandh enforcement from the early hours.
The 'Bangla Bandh', initiated at 6 am, was a response to the police's treatment of 'Nabanna Abhijan' marchers, a protest organized by the student group Chatra Samaj against the purported sexual assault and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Hospital.
The bandh led to a partial disruption of daily activities, with many opting to stay indoors to avoid potential unrest.
An official from Eastern Railway reported that bandh proponents obstructed tracks at 49 locations within its jurisdiction across the state, affecting both Sealdah and Howrah divisions.
Although blockades were cleared at most sites, they persisted for extended periods at nine stations, particularly in the Sealdah South section, according to the official.
BJP activists staged protests at various stations in the North and South 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Nadia, and Murshidabad districts to support the bandh.
Suburban railway services faced disruptions as bandh supporters scattered banana leaves on overhead electrical wires in multiple areas, as confirmed by railway authorities.
Clashes between BJP and TMC workers were reported from the government bus stand area in Balurghat, Hooghly's Konnagar, and Asansol in Paschim Bardhaman.
BJP supporters' picketing caused interruptions in public transport services in Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Siliguri, and Malda in the north of West Bengal, as well as in Purulia, Bankura, and other southern locales.
Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition, led a demonstration in Nandigram, Purba Medinipur, his home district.
The chairman of the Indian Jute Mills Association, Raghvendra Gupta, stated that most jute mills, except for a few in the North and South 24 Parganas districts, were operational throughout the day.
Port operations continued as usual, with both Kolkata Docks and Haldia docks in operation, reported Syama Prasad Mookherjee Port spokesperson Sanjay Mukherjee.
The bandh did not affect the Information Technology sector or major industrial firms, according to a business chamber representative.
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