The Forward Bloc’s anger against Left Front big brother CPI(M) flared up again after police in north Bengal shot dead four Bloc supporters who were protesting the state’s failure to implement the job guarantee scheme and to give enough jobs to Muslims.
The violence, outside the office of the sub-divisional officer (SDO) of Dinhata in Coochbehar, also left 50 people including two policemen injured.
Shortly after news of the police firing reached the Bloc’s state headquarters here at 1.30pm, the party’s leaders, who have been upset with the CPI(M) ever since last year’s March 14 Nandigram firing, met and decided to call a bandh.
The bandh, the first ever to be called by one Front partner against the CPI(M), is expected to disrupt life as it has the moral support of almost all political parties including the opposition Trinamool Congress, the Congress, SUCI and even Front partners like the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP).
Except the CPI(M), no political party has opposed the bandh.
Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, who has been trying to woo the Bloc away from the Front ever since the Nandigram event, promptly called up Ashok Ghosh, the Bloc’s state secretary to tell him of her party’s support.
On Tuesday, Bloc supporters all over the state had gathered in front of the offices of the SDOs on Tuesday to place their demands. At Dinhata, nearly 3000 were meeting in front of the SDO’s office and got violent when the police tried to stop them from entering the office.
Police claimed that the protestors attacked them with bamboo staves and they had to open fire in self-defence at close quarters. One police inspector and a constable were seriously injured.
“We are calling a bandh against police barbarism,” Ghosh said, alleging that the police had opened fire without any provocation.
The Chief Minister was not available for comment as he left Writers’ Buildings at 1.30pm and was scheduled to fly to Delhi to attend a meeting called by the Planning Commission.
A defensive CPI(M) claimed the Bloc’s movement was not a peaceful one, and that the police had been attacked and police vehicles set on fire.
“Police opened fire? and sadly, four people died,” the CPI(M) said.
Transport minister Subhash Chakraborty, known to speak his mind even if it means deviating from the party line, demanded a judicial inquiry.
“This incident will impact the unity of the Left Front,” he told reporters at Writers’.