CPI(M) state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra today dubbed the state government 'circular' directing its employees to report for duty during the bandh tomorrow as "illegal and unconstitutional" and accused it of "declaring a war against people."
"To foil the strike, the state government has issued a circular stating if any government employee remains absent, salary will be deducted. This is completely illegal, unconstitutional and undemocratic," Mishra said.
Left parties and BJP have separately called a state-wide bandh tomorrow in protest against alleged terror and violence by the ruling TMC in the just-concluded civic polls.
"The state government has started a war against the people of the state. If they want a war, then we, along with the people of the state, are ready to face the war. The bandh is an ultimate weapon in the inventory of the working class. We have been forced to call the bandh as democratic rights of the masses are under threat," Mishra, a CPI(M) Politburo member, said.
Mishra, also the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, said if any untoward incident happened, the state government would be responsible for it.
In a 'memorandum', Principal Secretary, Finance, H K Dwivedi said, "In view of the call given by some political parties for bandh/strike all over the state on April 30, it has been decided that all state government offices including those provided with Grants-in-Aid by the state government would remain open and all employees should report for duty on that day."
TMC's labour arm INTTUC took out a rally here during the day asking people not to support the bandh call.
"We appeal to the masses not to support the bandh call. The people of the state will defeat the forces who are trying to stop the state's development," INTTUC leader Shovandev Chattopadhyay said.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also appealed to the people not to support the strike call.
When asked whether the bandh was still an effective weapon, Mishra said, "Whenever we call a bandh on some demand, we may not get results in a short-term basis. But, it will prepare ground for a bigger battle in the days to come."
Echoing Mishra, CITU state president Shyamal Chakraborty said, "The Chief Minister has declared a war. If she wants war, there will be war. We will be in the battlefield.
