The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called for a 12-hour bandh in West Bengal on Wednesday, from 6 am to 6 pm, to protest police actions during the Nabanna Abhijan rally. In response, bus drivers across several districts, including Kolkata and Cooch Behar, were seen wearing helmets while on duty.
Helmet Policy for Bus Drivers
A bus driver explained, “We are wearing the helmet as the bandh has been called today…The government has ordered us to wear the helmets for safety.” Another driver from the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) stated, “We are wearing helmets because of the bandh called by the BJP today…The department has given us the helmets to wear for safety.”
#WATCH | BJP’s 12-hour ‘Bengal Bandh’: Drivers of North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) buses seen wearing helmets, in Cooch Behar
A bus driver says, “We are wearing helmets because of the bandh called by the BJP today…The department has given us the helmets to… pic.twitter.com/rfdxJv2kRq
— ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2024
A third driver admitted, “We’re a bit scared. Therefore, we are wearing helmets.”
#WATCH | BJP’s 12-hour ‘Bengal Bandh’: Drivers of North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) buses seen wearing helmets, in Uttar Dinajpur
A bus diver says, “We are wearing the helmet as bandh has been called today…The government has ordered us to wear the helmets for… pic.twitter.com/TgEPJyD5zb
— ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2024
Government and Political Reactions
In the midst of the bandh, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad Foundation Day would be dedicated to the memory of a trainee doctor who was brutally raped and killed at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Banerjee expressed her condolences on social media, stating, “Today I dedicate Trinamool Chhatra Parishad Foundation Day to our sister, whom we mourned the tragic loss of at RG Kar Hospital a few days ago. And please, our heartfelt condolences to the family of the sister who was brutally tortured to death and seeking speedy justice, as well as to all the women of all ages across India who have been subjected to such inhumane acts.”
West Bengal Government’s Response to the Bandh
The West Bengal government has urged people to disregard the BJP’s strike, with Chief Advisor Alapan Bandopadhyay asserting, “The government will not allow any bandh on Wednesday. We urge people not to participate in it. All steps shall be taken to ensure that normal life is unaffected.” Additionally, a government notification stated that all government offices would remain open, and employees, except those with exigencies or on leave, must report for duty or face show-cause notices for unauthorized absences.
Violence During Nabanna Abhijan
On Tuesday, during the Nabanna Abhijan protest aimed at reaching the state secretariat, Nabanna, demonstrators clashed with police at multiple points. The Kolkata Police responded with a lathi-charge, water cannons, and tear gas to disperse the crowds. The violence, which lasted nearly four hours, resulted in injuries to several people, including senior police officers and female protesters.
