Welcome ’04: Mamata’s first Bengal bandh on February 3

The Trinamool Congress has called the first bandh of the year in the state on February 3, in protest against the ‘‘indiscriminate’’ taxes imposed by the Left Front government. ‘‘The state is going through a tax raj; taxes are being imposed indiscriminately,’’ Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee told reporters today. ‘‘We came to know that the government even issued a circular imposing tax on domestic animals in October last year. The government is issuing licences to liquor shops on a large scale. Unless the government withdraws all these, we will go in for a 12-hour Bengal bandh on February 3. During the entire month of January, our party workers will go in for dharnas and rallies. If all these fail, the bandh will follow,’’ she said.

The CPI(M) dismissed the charges. ‘‘The Trinamool leader is lying. The government is waiting for panchayats’ feedback on a model structure of taxes,’’ said Anil Biswas, secretary of the CPI(M) state committee.