Kolkata, Aug 27 (IANS): West Bengal unit of BJP has convened a 12-hour general strike in West Bengal on Wednesday condemning police action on the protesters participating in the 'Nabanna Abhijan' (March to Bengal Secretariat) rally condemning the rape and murder of a junior doctor at R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Addressing a press conference here, West Bengal BJP chief and the Union Minister of State for Education and DoNER Sukanta Majumdar said the police action on the protesters demonstrating peacefully needs to be condemned, and hence the party has decided to convene the 12-hour strike.
"I call upon the people of the state to spontaneously support the strike in solidarity with the protesting students. I know that strikes create inconvenience for common people. But still, we request people to participate in the strike," he said.
He also said that the state unit of BJP has also decided to provide legal aid to those against whom police will initiate action for participating in the protest march and medical aid for those injured in police action.
He also said that a helpline number would be opened for that purpose.
On the Kolkata side, there were fresh reports of clashes between the cops and the protesters at Hastings, where the policemen resorted to lathicharge and firing of teargas shells to disperse the crowd.
On the Howrah side, a group of protesters reached Nabanna, the state secretariat at Mandirtala in the district. However, the police managed to apprehend them at the last moment and dispersed them.
Earlier, the riot police used teargas shells and water cannons to disperse the crowd in some parts of Howrah district, including on the Howrah Bridge, where many protesters were seen carrying the Tricolour amid slogan-shouting.
A circle inspector of state police was severely injured, allegedly after protesters pelted stones at him.
Many women protestors leading the march near the Police Training School (PTS) close to the Vidyasagar Setu were reportedly injured due to the police action, even as the agitators sat on the street raising slogans.
Tension was also reported from the Mahatma Gandhi Road in central Kolkata following clashes between the protesters and the cops who resorted to lathi-charge and firing of teargas shells.