Bandh fizzles out in Mamata land
1 Jun 2012 3:14 AM GMT
The West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee proved yet again on Thursday that bandhs are no longer considered the 'future' of the state. Though fewer private vehicles and taxis plied on the streets, the people of Kolkata and other districts went about their daily routine unaffected. Government transport was out in full force and for those who wanted to go to work, there was no dearth of buses to travel in.
Meanwhile, the BJP president Nitin Gadkari claimed that the bandh was a thumping success. 'The massive turnout of all segments of the society braving severe heat and active participation of NDA and other non-Congress parties made it a coalition of protest across the country,' said Gadkari.
In Delhi, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit described the shutdown called by the NDA and Left parties to protest petrol price hike as a 'total failure' and 'thanked' the people of the city for not responding to it. Speaking in the Delhi assembly, she came down heavily on the BJP, accusing it of forcibly blocking roads and making the traders shut shops in various areas of the city.
In Maharashtra, the government decided to take the protesters head on. The state home minister R R Patil said that it will fix responsibility on those political parties which called the shutdown and recover from them losses caused to public and private property.
The West Bengal chief minister's order that there would be a salary cut for those who bunked Writer's Building duty on Thursday probably motivated government officials to come to work. Private offices remained open and though some people came in late, it was business as usual. Sector V, Kolkata's IT hub, was worked too, though some IT offices provided car pick-up for their staff.
Heavy security arrangements made by the Mamata Banerjee government ensured that a large posse of police personnel were deployed on the roads to maintain peace. The pro-shutdown activists – mostly BJP party workers – took out processions and demonstrated in some parts of the city.
In Howrah, supporters of the shutdown torched a state government bus, but there were no injuries. The police arrested 38 people for trying to disrupt traffic by putting up road blockades in various areas of Kolkata and Howrah. Train services were disrupted for some time in the Sealdah section of Eastern Railway after protesters squatted on the tracks at a few stations.
'The disruptions were carried out by the BJP workers in consonance with the CPI(M). The strictest action will be taken against them,' said state transport minister Madan Mitra. The chief minister also echoed his thoughts in a separate statement. The state Congress president Pradip Bhattacharjee said that the bandh was not successful but there should have been more public transport on the roads.
Meanwhile, the BJP president Nitin Gadkari claimed that the bandh was a thumping success. 'The massive turnout of all segments of the society braving severe heat and active participation of NDA and other non-Congress parties made it a coalition of protest across the country,' said Gadkari.
In Delhi, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit described the shutdown called by the NDA and Left parties to protest petrol price hike as a 'total failure' and 'thanked' the people of the city for not responding to it. Speaking in the Delhi assembly, she came down heavily on the BJP, accusing it of forcibly blocking roads and making the traders shut shops in various areas of the city.
In Maharashtra, the government decided to take the protesters head on. The state home minister R R Patil said that it will fix responsibility on those political parties which called the shutdown and recover from them losses caused to public and private property.
The West Bengal chief minister's order that there would be a salary cut for those who bunked Writer's Building duty on Thursday probably motivated government officials to come to work. Private offices remained open and though some people came in late, it was business as usual. Sector V, Kolkata's IT hub, was worked too, though some IT offices provided car pick-up for their staff.
Heavy security arrangements made by the Mamata Banerjee government ensured that a large posse of police personnel were deployed on the roads to maintain peace. The pro-shutdown activists – mostly BJP party workers – took out processions and demonstrated in some parts of the city.
In Howrah, supporters of the shutdown torched a state government bus, but there were no injuries. The police arrested 38 people for trying to disrupt traffic by putting up road blockades in various areas of Kolkata and Howrah. Train services were disrupted for some time in the Sealdah section of Eastern Railway after protesters squatted on the tracks at a few stations.
'The disruptions were carried out by the BJP workers in consonance with the CPI(M). The strictest action will be taken against them,' said state transport minister Madan Mitra. The chief minister also echoed his thoughts in a separate statement. The state Congress president Pradip Bhattacharjee said that the bandh was not successful but there should have been more public transport on the roads.
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