Protests by Opposition and strike by government employees keeps police on its toes in West Bengal
The Hindu
Government employees staged a demonstration, demanding DA parity with the Union government staff
Protests organised by the Opposition parties in West Bengal and a strike called by a section of employees of the State government on Friday kept police and the administration on their toes.
While the government employees staged a demonstration, demanding DA (dearness allowance) parity with the Union government staff, the supporters of the Students Federation of India (SFI) held protests over the alleged recruitment scam. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters laid siege at the headquarters of the State Health Department over the deaths due to adenovirus infection.
The members of SFI, who held gathered at Sealdah and Howrah railway stations, and marched towards the West Bengal Assembly. The police had a tough time when the SFI supporters reached the Assembly gates and tried to scale it. The Assembly was in session and the police personnel were taken off guard when they reached and started shouting slogans. The police had denied permission to the SFI to take out the rally. Communist Party of India (Marxist) State Secretary Md. Salim said that students do not need permission to hold rallies against corruption.
The situation had turned volatile near Swastha Bhawan, the headquarters of the State Health Department in the Salt Lake area, when the BJP supporters tried to march towards the office. Amid the scuffle between the BJP supporters and the police, BJP’s Mahila Morcha chief Tanuja Chakraborty and party MLA Agnimitra Mitra alleged that they were pushed by the police and sustained injuries.
Protesting BJP supporters were detained and taken away from the venue in ambulances brought by the police. State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said that while the police allowed the SFI supporters to march till the Assembly gates, they used force against the BJP members.
On the other hand, a section of government employees observed a strike demanding a parity of Dearness Allowance ( DA) with Union government employees. The strike was supported by the political parties in the Opposition, including the Left parties, Congress and the BJP.