TMC protests bring West Bengal to a standstill

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee might not endorse the politics of bandhs anymore, but demonstrations by Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers against the arrest of MP Sudip Bandopadhyay almost brought West Bengal to a grinding halt on Wednesday.

Mamata also reiterated her demand for the arrest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah.

Mamata, in a Facebook post on Tuesday night, demanded the arrest of Modi and Shah, calling them “thieves and goondas”.

“I challenge the PM. He cannot do anything. He cannot suppress the voice of the people,” she posted. With Mamata giving a call for nationwide demonstrations against Bandopadhyay’s arrest on Tuesday, TMC workers came out onto the streets, protesting the Centre’s “vindictive attitude” and raised slogans against Modi.

Party supporters blocked railroads in different parts of the state and took out rallies that brought Kolkata to a standstill, throwing traffic out of gear for hours.

If on Tuesday evening TMC workers attacked the state BJP office in Kolkata and got into a scuffle with Opposition supporters, injuring 12 of them, on Wednesday, they staged a demonstration outside the house of BJP MP Babul Supriyo in Asansol. TMC workers also attacked the residence of state BJP general secretary Krishna Bhattacharya.