Left Front calls for 12-hour general strike in Bengal Thursday

West Bengal's opposition Left Front on Sunday called a statewide 12-hour general strike on April 30 in protest against what it called "destruction of democracy" by the ruling Trinamool Congress in the recent civic polls.

Accusing the Trinamool of indulging in "rampant rigging" and "violence", LF chairman Biman Bose said police were reduced to a "lame duck status" as the ruling party let loose "anti-social elements" to deny people their right to vote freely.

The strike would continue from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Meanwhile, four left trade unions as also the Congress-affiliated INTUC and the Hind Mazdoor Sabha convened a 24-hour general strike in the state on the same day articulating the same demand.

LF major Communist Party of India-Marxist-backed CITU's state president Shyamal Chakraborty said the trade unions had already called a 24-hour nationwide transport strike on April 30 to highlight issues facing the transport workers.

"We did not want to burden the people of West Bengal for two days by calling the general strike on another day. So we have called it on April 30 itself," he said.

However, soon after the trade unions gave the call, the Cricket Association of Bengal wrote to Bose requesting the strike be postponed in view of the Indian Premier League game scheduled on that day.

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are slated to take on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at 8 p.m. on April 30 and according to the letter, tickets have already been sold to the public.

"The tickets for the said match have already been distributed and sold out to the public for witnessing. You are, therefore, requested to postpone your above 'Bangla Bandh' and fix any other date not hampering the IPL match," said the letter from CAB Treasurer Biswarup Dey on Sunday.

Bose, who held a media conference a little later to announce the 12-hour strike, said holding the match should not be a problem as the strike would be over by 6 p.m. - two hours before the start of the IPL game.

He also informed that the LF leadership has appealed to the trade unions to reduce the duration of their planned 24-hour protest to 12 hours.

Taking umbrage at the strike call, the Trinamool said it would "actively oppose the attempt at disrupting normal life".

"We condemn the move to disrupt normal life. We will not only verbally protest, but actively oppose it also," said state Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee.