Kolkata: Sporadic violence at pockets across Bengal after CPI(M) workers clashed against police and Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers while supporting a countrywide general strike called by 10 central trade unions on Wednesday.
In College Street a SFI leader slapped a policeman and later the SFI leaders tried to protest by torching tyres. Police however during the clash had taken away the protesters and detained them.
In Buniadpur a CPI (M) leader got slapped by a police personnel while they were protesting in favour of the countrywide general strike.
In Ganguly Bagan in South Kolkata SFI leader Srijan Bhattacharya got injured due to scuffle with police and Srijan was dragged to the prison van and was detained.
Notably, this strike was mainly called due to price rise of essential commodities and joblessness in the country.
Reinforcing its stand of zero-tolerance towards bandhs, the West Bengal police came down heavily on strike supporters.
Banking services in both public and private sectors were affected across the state and at several places traffic went out of gear and people had to wait on the roads to reach their destinations.
Slamming the untoward incidents while supporting the strike, senior CPI (M) leader and politburo member Md. Selim said that by disrupting the strike Trinamool Congress (TMC0 tried to ‘appease’ the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“Through police Mamata Banerjee tried to say that Modi I am with you and the war of words between the BJP and the TMC are camouflage,” said Selim.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh also slammed the SFI leaders who slapped and manhandled the OC of the police station while he went to disperse the crowd.
