BJP's WB bandh call on Sep 26 over Islampur clash will be thwarted: TMC

The Trinamool Congress on Sunday said the bandh called by the BJP in West Bengal on September 26 will be thwarted and accused the saffron party of trying to create political unrest in the state over the death of two students during a clash in North Dinajpur district.

Residents of Daribhit village in Islampur held a protest before local MLA Kanhaiyalal Agarwal and Goalpokhar legislator Gulam Rabbani, demanding a CBI probe into the firing that claimed the lives of the two students, when they visited the victims' homes on Sunday.

BJP leaders Mukul Roy, Locket Chhatterjee and Pratap Banerjee also met the victims' family.

Furious villagers did not allow the police to enter the village on Sunday.

The BJP and locals have alleged that the two, who were former students of Daribhit High School, were killed in police firing, but the superintendent of police of North Dinajpur, Sumit Kumar, had said the police did not open fire.

The SP had, however, admitted that the students had received bullet injuries and had said the police were investigating who had opened fire.

State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said his party had no other option but to call the bandh.

"We have demanded a CBI probe into the Islampur incident. The chief minister is claiming the police did not resort to firing. Then who killed the two students? The firing happened right in front of the police," he said.

The BJP has called a 12-hour Bengal bandh on Wednesday to protest the deaths of ITI student Rajesh Sarkar and third-year college student Tapas Barman.

TMC secretary general and state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee alleged that the BJP was trying to create disruption in the state by turning the incident into a political issue and said that their attempt will be dealt by his party politically.

"The BJP's attempt to create a political unrest will be thwarted politically," Chatterjee said.

He said that the TMC will hold protest meetings and rallies throughout the state against the BJP's bandh call.

Asserting that BJP's attempt to "disrupt" normal life in the state on Wednesday will not succeed, the minister said, "Transport services will be maintained and offices, schools and colleges will remain open on Wednesday."