Kolkata: The CPI(M) and Trinamool Congress
clashed over the closure of a school at Rajarhat in North 24
Parganas district during the 24-hour general strike on Tuesday.
A group of CPI(M) workers tried to forcibly close down
a school to enforce the strike when Trinamool Congress workers
arrived on the scene and resisted, police sources said.
Tapas Chatterjee, chairman of the Gopalpur-Rajarhat
municipality belonging to the CPI(M) and Trinamool Congress
MLA Sabyasachi Dutta also arrived at the spot and a clash
ensued, the sources said.
The revolver of the security guard of Dutta went missing
in the melee, they said.
Police said three or four persons were injured in the
clash.
Six persons, mostly CPI(M) workers, were arrested.
CPI(M) leader Gautam Deb told reporters that Chatterjee,
who was absconding after the clash, would surrender in court
tomorrow.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Hq) Jawed Shamim said
that a reporter of a TV news channel was assaulted at Ganguly
Bagan area here during the clash between pro and anti-strike
supporters.
The chief minister said the `total failure` of the
shutdown would serve as a message to the Leftists in
organising such strikes in future.
The government had warned its employees to turn up for
duty or face action, including break in service.
She said that 98 per cent turnout of employees in the
state secretariat was a pointer of things in future.
"Bandh is not the future of Bengal or for that matter
the country. The destructive culture of bandh has ended today.
Let no one have the courage to call a bandh again," Banerjee
told reporters.
Without naming the CPI(M), she alleged that the party
had maintained its existence through bandhs.
"The manner in which people have responded against
the bandh, now no one will want to call a bandh. There is
no impact of the bandh. It has failed totally with 100 per
cent attendance by government employees in most places," she
said.
Criticising the chief minister, the CPI(M) complained
that the state government adopted `oppressive methods to foil
the strike`.
Claiming that the success of the strike was
`unprecedented` Leader of the Opposition Surya Kanta Mishra
said "the government`s fascist face is exposed in its
oppressive measures to break the strike though
unsuccessfully."
Questioning the government`s directive to employees to
turn up for duty or face a break in service, he asked "what
was the outcome of government employees staying the night in
offices?"
Rejecting the chief minister`s claim that the
strike had failed, CITU state President Shyamal Chakraborty
said despite `state-sponsored threats`, people responded to
the strike call.
"Several Left workers were attacked and injured, while
former minister Srikumar Mukherjee was heckled by the
Trinamool Congressmen," Chakraborty said.
"The success of the strike points to the eroding
popularity of the Mamata Banerjee government, which rode to
power with an overwhelming majority," he said.
Central trade unions which called the strike have
demanded guarantee of labour rights, end to the contract
labour system, bringing workers in the unorganised sector
under the social security net and pension benefit for all
workers.
PTI
