Bengal hears Cong call for strike

At the Writers’ Buildings,of 32 ministers,only 12 attended office. The presence of employees was about 20 per cent.

Barring a few stray incidents,the 12-hour strike,called in protest against Thursday’s attack on Congress legislators at Mangalkot,went off peacefully.

“Some public vehicles and some government offices were damaged,” said Chief Secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti. While in Kolkata 20 people were arrested,in the districts 90 were taken into custody.

The worst affected was the train service,as over 20 trains,including long-distance trains at Howrah and Sealdah divisions,were cancelled. Trinamool Congress chief and Union Railway minister Mamata Banerjee,who is in Kolkata,chose to keep mum.

At the Dum Dum airport,air service was also heavily affected. Twelve flights —- one international and the rest domestic —- were cancelled.

All educational institutions,banks and law courts remained closed. The IT sector,too,was badly hit,with less than 50 per cent employees being able to attend duties.

Around 20 vehicles —- three of them in Kolkata —- were damaged across the state by the rampaging mobs. In the Hills,all tea gardens were closed.

The response to the strike call infused fresh life in the state Congress,which hailed it as “historic”.

“It was a spontaneous bandh,” said Subrata Mukherjee,acting president of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee. “Never in my political career have I witnessed such a bandh. But our protest against the Mangalkot incident will not end. There will be more protest rallies,” he added.

The CPM,however,denounced the bandh.

“It was not a spontaneous bandh. People were forced to stay indoors. There was total lawlessness and vandalism in the state. But people will judge it,” said Biman Bose,CPM state secretary.

Asked why the government did not become more active,Bose said: “If people take to vandalism,what will the government do?”