Normal life was considerably hit in Bengal even as sporadic violence and arson marked Wednesday’s general strike sponsored by Left and Congress trade unions prompting both Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the BJP to interpret the bandh as a desperate attempt by a moribund Left Front to catch limelight once again.

Reports of violence poured in from Barasat, in North 24 Parganas, Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, Burdwan, Malda, South Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri and other places police said adding 170 strikers including CPI(M) Legislature Party leader Sujan Chakrabarty had been arrested.

Violence reached its crescendo at Sujapur in Malda district where police fought pitched battle with angry protesters opposing CAA and NRC. About eight vehicles including a few belonging to the police were torched allegedly by the protesters leading the cops to burst tear gas shells and fire rubber bullets injuring a number of them.

Though life reverted to near-normal by late noon the Left and the Congress took out long processions in parts of Kolkata demanding immediate release of its leaders. At Park Circus Maidan (a minority dominated area) hundreds of Muslim women sat on indefinite dharna demanding withdrawal of the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register for Citizens.

The strikers who had initially targeted socio-economic issues as subject matter of the bandh in the final hours smartly included CAA and NRC to widen the scope of

participation. The tactic seemed to partially pay off with the strike witnessing more than 50 percent success sources in the administration said adding however that the Government offices in the wake of a strong circular from the State secretariat witnessed near-99 percent attendance.

While air services remained normal train services were substantially affected authorities said adding about 127 suburban trains from Sealdah and 47 from Howrah had to be cancelled. This, in addition to about the route of a dozen express getting changed due to the impact of the strike.

Sources in the State electricity boards reported lesser consumption of power indicating partial success of the bandh. “Reports collected at 10 am showed the power consumption level at 4012 MW, 250 MW less than the normal, driving home the fact that strike had its impact despite contradictory claims made by the Government,” said one of the striking leaders adding “the power department stopped releasing further reports for obvious reasons.”

Even as the day peaked reports of violence came in from various parts of the State. At Hridaypur in North 24 Parganas crude bombs were recovered from underneath a local train. Buses and other vehicles were vandalised in Burdwan, Durgapur, Howrah and Kolkata even as the drivers were seen driving their vehicles with helmets on.

Traffic were blockaded by the Left and Congress workers at Jadavpur and Rashbehari crossing with their supporters throwing burning tryres on the roads. The impact of the strike was near complete at Raiganj and Durgapur, the home town of JNSU president Aishi Ghosh where the protesters were seen attacking bikers.

All banks and post offices remained closed causing immense hardships to the people. Schools were however partially affected as the number of attendance was thin.

Meanwhile the Chief Minister attacked the Left for sacrificing its ideology. “CPIM has no ideology. Planting bombs on railway tracks is nothing but ‘gundagardi, she said. In the name of movement, commuters are being beaten up and stones are being pelted. This is ‘dadagiri’, not a movement. I condemn this. I will not allow such movements.

The Marxists are trying to get back their relevance but they will never be able to do that unless they change their style of functioning. I think the communists of Kerala are far better than those in Bengal. At least they have a policy and act according to ideology. In Bengal they are all ruffians.”

Attacking the hoodlums BJP’s Dilip Ghosh said “the Trinamool Congress has helped the Left Front to make violence a success because they want the Left to get some oxygen so as to divide the anti-TMC opposition in Bengal. But people have understood and will give Mamata Banerjee a befitting reply.”

The Left leaders including politburo member Biman Bose congratulated the people for making the bandh a success “despite brutal attack by the police and the TMC goons on the bandh supporters.”