Bengal bandh peaceful: 7 hurt, over 2,500 held

Seven police personnel were injured in separate incidents and over 2,500 people were arrested today during the Trinamool Congress-sponsored ...

Seven police personnel were injured in separate incidents and over 2,500 people were arrested today during the Trinamool Congress-sponsored 12-hour bandh in West Bengal.

The Trinamool Congress called the bandh to protest against the Left Front government’s taxation policy. The government had issued a circular to panchayats to impose taxes on various things, including vehicles and livestock.

‘‘It would have been a total bandh had the state government not used force to break it,’’ Trinamool Congress leader and Union Minister for Coal and Mines Mamata Banerjee said here, adding ‘‘they not only beat up our party members, but members of the general public too.’’

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‘‘The Chief Minister had instructed the police to round up Trinamool leaders and MLAs, and torture party activists to foil the bandh. They trampled on democracy and violated the Constitution,’’ she said, adding 20,000 party workers were arrested during the bandh, including three party MLAs.

Announcing the next course of agitation, she said that Trinamool workers would demonstrate in all districts on February 9 and organise ‘‘jail bharo’’ programme on February 18 demanding withdrawal of various taxes. CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, however, lashed out at Trinamool saying that the bandh was based on lies and rumours.