West Bengal faces 12-hour bandh as BJP protests police action at Nabanna

West Bengal is under a 12-hour general strike (Bangla Bandh) today, from 6 am to 6 pm, called by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in response to the police crackdown on protesters at Nabanna, the state secretariat, on Tuesday. The bandh follows a day of clashes where security forces used batons, tear gas, and water cannons to disperse demonstrators.

The protests erupted after a 31-year-old trainee doctor was raped and murdered earlier this month at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The demonstrators were demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of failing to address the incident effectively.

BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar condemned the police action, labeling it as a reaction to what he described as Banerjee's "autocratic regime." Majumdar asserted that the bandh is a necessary measure to highlight the government’s alleged negligence in delivering justice.

Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari criticized the police for their handling of what he called a peaceful student march, insisting that the excessive use of force was unjustified. Adhikari vowed that the BJP would "bring the entire state to a halt" through the bandh.

In counter, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has accused the BJP of exploiting the tragic incident to stir unrest. TMC leader Kunal Ghosh claimed that the BJP's bandh was part of a broader strategy to destabilize the state. He urged the people of West Bengal to ignore the BJP's efforts and maintain normalcy.

The state government has announced measures to minimize disruption, with Chief Advisor Alapan Bandopadhyay urging citizens to avoid participating in the strike. Authorities have instructed that transport services, markets, and businesses remain open, and government employees are expected to report to work as usual.