The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday called a 12-hour general strike in West Bengal to protest the police crackdown on a students' rally in Kolkata demanding justice for the junior doctor who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Hospital.
The protest turned violent as the agitators trying to march to the West Bengal state secretariat clashed with police at several points. Several people, including some senior police officers, were injured in the melee.
Over 200 persons have been arrested by the police.
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari alleged over 160 protesters, including 17 women, were injured due to police action.
The West Bengal government responded by saying it will take all necessary steps so that normal life is not disrupted when the strike starts at 6 a.m. The government also urged the public to ignore the BJP strike call.
The government will not allow any bandh on Wednesday. We urge people not to participate in it. All steps shall be taken to ensure that normal life is unaffected," Alapan Bandopadhyay, the chief advisor to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said.
A formal notification issued this afternoon said that all government offices shall remain open, and all employees, except those experiencing emergencies or who are on leave, must report for duty on August 28, or they may face a show-cause notice for unauthorized absence.
Meanwhile, the BJP has called on Governor C.V. Ananda Bose to impose President's Rule in the state.
The protest rally was organized by Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj, a student body, and the dissident state government employees' platform 'Sangrami Joutha Mancha'.
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