Shutdown in Bengal's Siliguri after VHP's protest call, 7 arrested

Kolkata, June 2 (IANS) Normal life in Siliguri in West Bengal's Darjeeling district was affected on Monday following a 24-hour strike convened by Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bangiya Hindu Mahamancha.

The strike call was given following the assault on their activists by some miscreants on May 29, after they tried to prevent the alleged transportation and smuggling of illegal beef in that area.

At the time the report was filed, seven bandh supporters were arrested by Siliguri Metropolitan Police. They were arrested at Jalpai Crossing in Siliguri Town, where they were picketing carrying the respective flags of their organisations in support of the bandh.

Another group of bandh supporters blocked the roads at Hasmi Chawk in Siliguri Town, which resulted in traffic congestion in the area. The police immediately reached the spot and removed the protesters from the area.

The bandh supporters were also seen protesting at different busy crossings and market areas within the town.

While several private buses were off the roads in the town since morning, the number of passengers travelling by the state-run buses was lower than the normal working days.

The bandh organisers claimed that the common people of Siliguri, including the owners of different business establishments and traders, are voluntarily supporting the strike since they are fuming over the events of beef smuggling and the related menace of those miscreants behind the smuggling.

On May 29, tension broke out over allegations of transportation and smuggling of illegal beef by a pickup van in the Matigara area. The VHP and Bangiya Hindu Mahamancha, along with the local people, blocked the road in protest and alleged that the beef smuggling in the area was going on because of active cooperation from the local police.

“Thereafter, some miscreants involved in the beef smuggling attacked some of our activists. Even the house of one of our activists was attacked and completely vandalised by the miscreants,” a Bangiya Hindu Mahamancha said.

--IANS

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