JP workers have launched a protest against the death of Bengal BJP MLA Debendra Nath Roy who was found hanging at a shop near his home on Monday. In North Bengal, protesters were seen vandalising buses as police dragged them away. Markets remain shut as locals remain indoors due to the bandh.
BJP workers have started demonstrations on roads in parts of North Bengal as the party called for a 12-hour bandh in the region over the death of the party MLA.
In North Dinajpur, markets were closed while private vehicles were off the roads.
BJP workers were seen squatting on the streets early morning on Tuesday as they started with the bandh to protest against Mamata Banerjee government over the death. Visuals from Coochbehar showed North Bengal State Transport Corporation buses were attacked and ransacked.
BJP supporters were dragged away by the police deployed in the district while social distancing went for a toss as protesters took to the street without masks.
Police personnel were seen taking off flags and removing posters of BJP in Jalpaiguri district.
Darjeeling remains unaffected by the bandh and life is continuing normally in the hills. Shops have opened, ATMs are functioning while public vehicles which run from the hills toward Siliguri are also plying.
In Malda, vegetable markets have opened but there aren’t many buyers. Private bus operators have stopped services for the day in North Bengal.
A BJP delegation led by Kailash Vijayvargiya will meet the President Ram Nath Kovid at 10:15 am on Tuesday to apprise him of the deteriorating law and order situation in Bengal and hand over a memorandum.
Dilip Ghosh, BJP MP and state president said, “Today we have called bandh in North Bengal, upper portion from Farakka. Protest will be done in center points of every district against this murder and violence. Tomorrow we will show protest in front of all police stations in Bengal. This will be a token protest against the political violence, murder and torture on BJP workers.”
The body of Debendra Nath Roy, in his 60s, was found hanging from the ceiling of a verandah outside a shuttered shop near his home in Bindal village in Hemtabad area of the district.
West Bengal police said a suicide note was found from his shirt pocket where he blamed two people for his death.
The BJP leader’s family has demanded a CBI inquiry into the incident as they suspect that he was murdered. BJP has termed Roy’s death a “cold-blooded murder” by the ruling Trinamool Congress.
Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar demanded an impartial probe into the death.
