BJP Calls for 12-Hour Bengal Bandh Against Police Crackdown

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced a 12-hour bandh in West Bengal, protesting police action during the 'Nabanna Abhiyan' march. BJP leader Agnimitra Paul criticized the Mamata Banerjee-led government. The protest follows the controversial handling of recent demonstrations and the tragic death of a postgraduate trainee doctor.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called for a '12-hour Bengal Bandh' on Wednesday, August 28, in protest against a police crackdown during the 'Nabanna Abhijan' march to the state secretariat on Tuesday. BJP leader Agnimitra Paul condemned the Bengal government during the bandh.

Addressing the situation to ANI, Paul criticized the police and the Mamata Banerjee-led government for allegedly becoming spineless, highlighting that the police have contravened Supreme Court orders. She claimed that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is fearful of student agitation, utilizing police force to suppress dissent.

Paul accused the government of using tear gas and lathi charges unjustly. She further lambasted the authorities for deploying water cannons laced with chemicals on protesters. Amid the unrest, Kolkata's bus drivers were instructed to wear helmets. The BJP's call for a bandh follows police action during the 'Nabanna Abhiyan' march, which escalated into violent clashes and law-and-order disruptions.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) criticized the BJP's methods, describing the protest as a deliberate scheme to incite chaos. They labeled the march a fatal attack on Bengal, linking it to recent nationwide outrage following the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor in Kolkata.

(With inputs from agencies.)