The Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal today declared a 12-hour shutdown or bandh to protest against forces that tried to stop a rally to Nabanna – state secretariat – in Howrah district of West Bengal which was even baton charged by the police. The protest comes in the wake of a gruesome rape and murder of a 31 year old doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar appealed people to participate in the day-long general strike which will be observed from 6 am to 6 pm. He described it as a bad public health situation and called on State authorities to act on it without/waiting to be told.
This protest march known as ‘Nabanna Abhiyan’ however escalated nearer towards the town as protestors bypassed police cordon at Santragachi in Howrah and got into a scuffle with the police with the Kolkata Police not far behind. The protest began in College Square, Kolkata and had the intention to march to Nabanna which is the state administrative building where the Chief Minister also operates from. Demonstrators were Tear gassed, chased by the police and stopped at Howrah Bridge where police used lathi charges, water cannons to disperse the protesters.
Tamil Nadu: BJP’s Shehzad Poonawalla said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee protecting accused, deleting evidence, and hiding justice. According to Amit Malviya head of BJP IT cell, Banerjee feared student movements and thus used brutal force to stop the protests.
