West Bengal Bandh: Protesters vandalise government buses in Midnapore to protest death of students

ANI photo

Kolkata: Amid a bandh called by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal, two government buses have been vandalised and torched in West Midnapore on Wednesday. The violence took place in West Midnapore town's Sipaibazar.

The agitators tried to put up a road blockade on the NH-60 by burning tyres in West Midnapore district. Police, however, immediately removed the road blockade, freeing NH-60 for movement.

West Bengal: Protesters vandalise government buses and torch tyres in Midnapore. BJP has called for a 12-hour statewide bandh today in protest against the death of a student who died following a clash with police in North Dinajpur's Islampur. pic.twitter.com/qBn4SHX0Dx — ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2018

The BJP has called for a 12-hour 'Bangla bandh', in a bid to protest against the Islampur school violence in North Dinajpur in which two students lost their lives in clashes with police. 

The Trinamool Congress government has, however, vowed to take stern action against those trying to enforce a 12-hour bandh

Security arrangements have been heightened ahead of the bandh. A total number of 4,000 security personnel have been deployed across the city.

The government has made attendance mandatory for all employees. Special arrangements have been made at bus and tram depot, metro and rail stations.

The opposition BJP took out rallies in the city and the state on Tuesday in support of the 'Bangla bandh', while the ruling TMC countered it with processions denouncing it. The BJP claimed that the shutdown would be a complete success.

Trouble had brewed at Daribhit High School in Islampur over the recruitment of Urdu teachers as the protesting students said they needed Science and English teachers instead.

The students and the locals had stopped two newly-recruited teachers from entering the school on Thursday, demanding that all vacant teaching posts be filled, resulting in a clash.

The BJP alleged that ITI student Rajesh Sarkar and third-year college student Tapas Barman were killed in police firing while the police denied the claim.