The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced a 12-hour bandh in West Bengal to protest against the police crackdown on participants during a march to the state secretariat. The protest followed the shocking rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, which has sparked widespread outrage.
Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar urged citizens to join the statewide strike scheduled from 6 AM to 6 PM tomorrow. Majumdar expressed deep concern over the deteriorating safety in the state and demanded swift action from the authorities.
The protest march dubbed the ‘Nabanna Abhiyan,’ turned chaotic when demonstrators clashed with police after breaking barricades at Santragachi in Howrah. The Kolkata Police responded with lathi charges, water cannons, and tear gas to disperse the crowds. The march, which began at College Square in Kolkata, was aimed at reaching Nabanna, the state secretariat, and the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), but was halted at the Howrah Bridge.
In preparation, the Kolkata Police transformed the high-security zone into a fortress, blocking all routes leading to Nabanna to prevent protesters from advancing.
Commenting on the situation, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla criticized West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of shielding criminals and stifling justice. Poonawalla remarked, “Mamata Banerjee’s government is protecting the culprits, tampering with evidence, and silencing the truth. Now, when students, doctors, and citizens are demanding justice, her government is resorting to force to block the ‘Nabanna Chalo Abhiyan.
BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya also took a jab at the Chief Minister, stating that Banerjee is so fearful of the student movement that she has ordered the Kolkata Police to place large containers on roads to stop protesters. He questioned her extreme measures, asking, “Is she imagining that students seeking justice for the RG Kar case are marching in tanks?
The BJP’s call for a bandh aims to draw attention to what they describe as the state government’s failure to ensure justice and public safety, amplifying the growing discontent across West Bengal.
