Left's 12-hour bandh in West Bengal today, railway tracks blocked

In the morning, some railway tracks in Jadavpur and North 24 Parganas were blocked by the bandh supporters while majority of people were on their way to offices.

The Mamata Banerjee government has asked its employees to be compulsorily present in the offices, threatening service break if they skip the working day.

Meanwhile, all government schools for classes 9 to 12 reopened on Friday after 11 months following a shutdown due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Supporting the bandh, CPI-M MLA Sujan Chakraborty, who was at the Jadavpur Railway Station, said, "People are spontaneously supporting the bandh in protest of the police's action yesterday. People are on the streets today to organise rallies to support bandh. "

Reacting to the bandh, which has also been supported by Left's ally Congress, on a day when schools are reopening, Chakraborty said, "We are not stopping students from going to schools. Whoever wants to go to school, can go."

In various visuals accessed by India Blooms, the Left protesters were on Thursday seen water-cannoned by police and several were lathicharged.

A few of them were also seen suffering bleeding from their injuries.

Slamming the Mamata Banerjee government over the violence, CPI-M leader Md. Salim told the press, "While the state government is allowing the BJP's Rath Yatra, it blocks the march by the Leftists who are demanding jobs for youth."

The Left students and youth leaders were demanding various government service examinations and recruitments.