Blockade trouble for commuters

KOLKATA: Even as the 12-hour strike called by the Left Front (LF) and Congress in the state on Friday turned unsuccessful, commuters in some areas faced a harrowing time after protestors blocked roads and railway tracks, burnt tyres and vandalised cars. Defying the strike call, people across the state came out on the streets to carry on with their daily activities.

In some places, the protestors forced shop owners to shut down their outlets. Left cadre blocked railway tracks and roads in Malda, Burdwan, Raiganj, Asansol, Dankuni and parts of Kolkata, North 24-Parganas and Nadia districts. Congress supporters tried to shut a few shops in Entally during a rally. At the Moulali crossing here, strike supporters put up a blockade and burnt tyres. They even tried to vandalise the cars stranded due to the blockade there.

On the Central Avenue, strike supporters forcefully shut some shops while blockade was put up on the road at Jadavpur 8B Bus Terminus. In Asansol, the agitators even assaulted people who came out on the streets.

At Jadavpur University, SFI activists locked the administrative building while Vice-Chancellor and other employees were inside the office. In several schools, SFI activists obstructed students from entering schools. The protestors threw banana leaves on overhead wires. 31 EMU locals had to be cancelled and 85 EMU locals were

detained enroute in the Sealdah division.

There was more than 95 per cent attendance at the state government offices on the day.