Announcing the party’s decision, state BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said the shutdown would be observed from 6 am to 6 pm during which essential services like healthcare, milk supply and the media would be exempt. (Express archive photo) The BJP has given a 12-hour strike call in West Bengal on Monday to protest alleged widespread violence during civic polls in the state on Sunday. The state government, meanwhile, issued a memorandum, announcing that all state-run and government-aided institutions would remain open on Monday and no leave would be granted to any employee.
Announcing the party’s decision, state BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said the shutdown would be observed from 6 am to 6 pm during which essential services like healthcare, milk supply and the media would be exempt.
“If we have to protect the future generation and provide them with a healthy democracy, then all must come together to make this strike successful. We have to restore democracy in West Bengal. Today (Sunday) the ruling party has betrayed the trust of the Calcutta High Court. With the help of the state poll panel, it turned the election into a farce. Tomorrow we shall observe the strike across the state,” said Bhattacharya.
“Several of our agents and candidates were beaten up. Even voters and journalists were thrashed. The entire constitutional machinery, along with the law-and-order situation, has collapsed. We had no choice but to call the strike,” added Bhattacharya.
The party also sent separate delegations to the West Bengal State Election Commission (WBSEC) and Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar at Raj Bhawan, urging them to declare polling to 108 municipalities as “null and void”.
However, slamming the BJP for announcing the strike, TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said, “Those who have no presence on the ground and have no support among the people are calling a bandh. This is nothing but looking for another opportunity to create chaos. They want to stop the development by hatching a conspiracy.”
The state government in its memorandum announced, “A call has been given by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for a 12 hours’ bandh on 28th February, 2022 (Monday) all over the State, from 6 am to 6 pm. As a matter of principle, the state government is opposed to strikes or bandhs, as it disrupts normal life and causes inconvenience to the people and affects their livelihood. In view of the above, the state government has decided that government and private establishments, schools and colleges, shops, markets, industrial establishments, transport etc will remain open and function normally.”
It added, “The state government will take all necessary measures to ensure that all establishments and services function smoothly and that there is no disruption. Any attempt towards forcible closure or disruption of any central/ state government offices, private establishments, industrial establishments, markets, shops, transport and normal life etc shall be dealt strictly and firmly.”
“All state government offices, including Panchayati Raj institutions, municipal bodies, educational institutions and all those provided with grants-in-aid by the state government shall remain open. All the employees should report for duty and no leave would be granted to any employee on the date of the bandh, absence on the bandh day will be treated as ‘dies non’ and no salary will be admissible. Detailed orders follow,” it added.
Meanwhile, supporting the strike, state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury said, “A protest must take place against today’s (Sunday) incidents. A party is allowed to give such a call, and the bandh must be observed. The issue behind this decision is justified. If we had the strength, then we could have given such a call.”
Senior CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty said, “Where was the BJP during the day? We were on the ground facing attacks from the TMC. What happened today is dangerous to a democracy. But the BJP completely vanished from the scene. We will organise a protest on the streets and not take part in the bandh.”
The Left Front announced that their leaders and workers would organise a sit-in outside the office of the state election commission Monday afternoon.
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