Left supporters try to enforce trade union strike in West Bengal; clash with police
Bharat Bandh LIVE updates: Public transport disrupted in various parts of India as trade unions protest Govt. policies
The supporters of Communist Party of India (Marxist) brought out processions in support of Bandh and tried to block road and railways. CPI(M) supporters blocked railway tracks in various parts of the State from Durgapur in Paschim Bardhaman, Lalgola in Murshidabad, Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas and Diamond Harbour in Murshidabad, Konnagar in Hooghly. Police and personnel of the Railway Protection Force ( RPF) tried to clear the track.
Supporters of Students Federation of India (SFI) held protests outside University of Calcutta, while CPI(M) supporters tried to block traffic at various places from Malda in the north to Domjur and Namkhana in the south. In north Bengal supporters of trade unions tried to stop public transport and were taken in custody. Police personnel resorted to force on CPI(M) supporters who tried to stop public transport
At Jadavpur CPI(M) supporters burnt tyres in protest. A procession led by CPI(M) leader Srijan Bhattacharya was stopped by police at Ganguly Bagan. Mr. Bhattacharya and other CPI(M) supporters were detained by the police. Trade union representatives also blocked the gates of Reliance Jute Mill in Bhatpara in North 24 Parganas. A police officer was seen assaulting a CPI(M) leader at Buniadpur in Dakshin Dinajpur district.
'We are protesting against the policies of the Narendra Modi government. Why is Mamata Banerjee trying to foil the bandh,' the CPI(M) leader said. While the trade unions of Left parties and Congress have supported the strike, the Indian National Trinamool Trade Union (INTTUC) have opposed the Bharat Bandh.
'We firmly believe that strike is no solution and does not serve any purpose as far as the working people are concerned. We are completely opposed to any form of strike or slow down. Wasting Mandays is completely against the principle of ours,' INTTUC president Ritabrata Banerjee has said.
Ever since coming to power in 2011, the Trinamool Congress that had championed the cause of strikes while in Opposition have opposed bandh citing loss of man days and harassment to working classes. The West Bengal government has directed all its employees to attend office on Wednesday (July 9). In a notification issued by transport secretary Saumitra Mohan, the State govt has urged all public and private transport operators, including state transport undertakings (STUs), to operate normal services on that day.
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