Strike was totally unsuccessful today: Mamata Banerjee

Addressing a press conference here,  Mamata Banerjee said, "The Left parties' strike in West Bengal was completely unsuccessful. Thanks to the government employees, labours and general people for foiling the strike. We have recorded 93% attendance in government offices in Kolkata which remains 91% in the general days. 97% attendance in districts' government offices have been recorded. The employees who joined offices today, will be awarded."  

"They have called it an industrial strike but strike in industrial areas has completely failed. Few shoppers did not open their shops for their personal issues and the  government does not want to interfere in it. I saw many buses today which were full of passengers," she said.

Mamata Banerjee said the strike-culture should be stopped.

"Bandh culture should be stopped. We had decided not to call strike after 2009 as it does not have any benefit," she said.

"CPI-M calls strike to keep the party alive. By calling bandh and blockades regularly, they practice a dirty politics. They should change their nature. They showed rampage and hooliganism to observe a successful strike. Administration and ruling party members played a peaceful, restraint and calm role. The CPI-M should learn from them," she added. 

Hitting out at the state's main opposition party, Banerjee said, "CPI-M leaders like to sleep for 6 months and show their faces in TV for 6 months."

"Government will not indulge such rampage.CPI-M don't have man power, that's why they are showing their muscle power. Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, we will show protest against Left's hooliganism across the state," she said.

Mamata Banerjee said 974 strike-supporters were arrested in the state.

"They cut rail's overhead wire at one place. This is a very bad practice. Many people might die if accident occurs," Banerjee added.

Countering Mamata Banerjee's statement, CPI-M's WB secretary Suryakanta Mishra said,  "By throwing bricks and bombs, TMC goons attacked strike-supporters in presence of police force at several places in Bengal. However, avoiding all obstructions, our strike became successful. Mamata Banerjee called many strikes when she was is opposition. We will call strike in future if we need."

"We have announced earlier to observe a protest-day tomorrow against the brutal attacks of the TMC. We have also called a 48-hour-long sit-in-demonstration in front of Victoria House at Esplanade area in Kolkata on Sept 9 and 10," Mishra said.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)