After Left, BJP calls West Bengal bandh on April 30

KOLKATA: The West Bengal unit of BJP today called a 12-hour statewide bandh on April 30, a day after the Left Front gave a similar call on that day to protest against "terror and violence" by the ruling Trinamool Congress in the just-concluded civic elections.

The BJP also urged the Congress to call bandh on that day to protest against the alleged "murder of democracy."

In an obvious reference to the LF-sponsored bandh call, state BJP president Rahul Sinha said "One party has already called a bandh on April 30. We are also calling bandh on that day. We have not given a strike call on any other day.

"The Congress should also give a bandh call," he said while leading a procession to the state Election Commission here.

Stating that their protests would not stop with the bandh, Sinha said they would observe "a save democracy" fortnight from May 1.

He alleged a "nexus between the SEC and the state government" and said the central forces which arrived in the state were not used for civic poll duty.

Criticising the Left's bandh-call, Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee had yesterday said it would not help the people when a natural disaster has hit the region.

"We will keep life normal," Chatterjee had said. The CITU, INTUC and six Left-backed trade unions have also jointly called a 24-hour general strike in West Bengal on April 30 to protest against alleged violence in the civic polls in the state.