West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today criticised the Left parties for clashes in Kolkata yesterday.
Fresh battle lines have been drawn in West Bengal with chief minister Mamata Banerjee today criticising the Left parties for clashes in Kolkata yesterday, threatening to 'finish' such protests in a minute. Her warning comes as the Left said that their shutdown on September 2 would be historic.
"Yesterday, the Left created tandav (mayhem)," Ms Banerjee told a public rally in Kolkata this afternoon, adding, "We will not let it happen in future. I can finish such protests in one minute."
The Left hit back. "She speaks the language of the underworld now," said CPM's Surya Kanta Mishra, adding, "The bandh on Wednesday will create a new history. Let us see what she says. In Trinamool ruled Bengal, workers' rights are being denied."
Yesterday, at least 200 protesters and over a dozen policemen were injured in clashes during a Left march to the state secretariat in parts of Kolkata and Howrah. The police claim that they had to use batons, teargas and water jets to disperse the protestors after they threw bricks at the police.
75-year-old Biman Bose, Left Front chairman, was hit by a brick allegedly thrown by the Police. The ruling Trinamool Congress claimed that brick was thrown by his own supporters. The Left had said that at least 2 lakh people had participated in the protest against anarchy in the state and denial of farmers' rights.
"They should be ashamed... They got big stones by car car-loads. Their march to the secretariat was a flop," said the chief minister.
Referring to the Left's proposed shut down on September 2, Ms Banerjee said, "They call 6 bandhs are a year, meaningless bandhs, sometimes taxi or bus bandh. Those who call bandhs, I am warning them, Bengal will not tolerate any bandh."
The shutdown has been called by a dozen central trade unions cutting across party lines to protest the Centre's labour law reforms that curb workers' rights among other issues.