The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called for a 12-hour Bengal bandh on August 28, 2024, in response to violent clashes between protesters and the Kolkata Police during the Nabanna Abhijan rally held on August 27. This rally was organized to demand the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee following the alleged rape and murder of a medical trainee at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital earlier in the month.
The Union Minister Sukanta Majumder said the bandh was called in opposition to the “violence on the student agitation” during the protest march.
The bandh has received a mixed response across West Bengal. While BJP workers have actively blocked roads and railway tracks to enforce the bandh, essential services such as hospitals and public transport are reportedly functioning normally. Schools and colleges remain open, although attendance may be affected due to the strike.
The West Bengal government has urged citizens to ignore the bandh, asserting that all government offices will remain operational and that any unauthorized absence will be addressed.
Senior BJP leader and leader of opposition West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari alleged that over 160 protestors, including 17 women, suffered injuries in the police action. Police claimed that several cops were also injured in the clashes.
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