Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal government on Thursday accused the CPI-M of joining hands with Bharatiya Janata Party in indulging in vandalism during Bharat Bandh, the 12-hour shutdown called against the rise in petrol prices.
"The way the CPI-M (Communist party of India-Marxist) has helped BJP in order to make the shutdown a success in Bengal is shameful," said Sports and Transport Minister Madan Mitra.
"They have indulged in rampant vandalism. But all their tricks have failed as the common people have not supported the strike," he said.
Protestors set fire to a bus, put up road blockades and disrupted train movement in at least one place as the 12-hour shutdown called against the rise in petrol prices came into effect in West Bengal on Thursday.
"We will sacrifice our lives but we will not allow the CPI-M to bring back the black days of `60s and `70s. They are helping BJP to make the strike a success. They have ushered vandalism across the state," Mitra said.
He said the vandalism showed that they (CPI-M) were bent on foiling efforts of stable governance being made by the Trinamool-led government.
Conceding that people were harassed on the roads, Mitra said: "The police did not act rough as they kept in mind the safety of the commuters."
The state government has made all out efforts to foil the shutdown, including issuing notices to all departments barring the staff from taking leave on Thursday.
IANS
