CPI(M) claims general strike by trade unions received overwhelming response in West Bengal

Kolkata, Jul 8 (PTI) The opposition CPI(M) on Wednesday claimed that the general strike called by 10 central trade unions and supported by the Left parties received an overwhelming response from the working classes in West Bengal.

State CPI(M) secretary Mohammed Salim claimed that the banking, insurance, transportation sectors and factory workers overwhelmingly participated in the strike.

"The strike received unprecedented response from the working classes," he said, addressing a press conference at the party's state headquarters here.

He alleged that police baton-charged strike supporters indiscriminately at various places and also apprehended them wherever they tried to hold demonstrations.

"The police and the TMC played a reprehensible role in trying to foil the strike," he said.

Salim said that though the strike was called by 10 central trade unions "against the Centre's policies, but the state government became more active to foil it".

"A democratic protest was tried to be stopped in an undemocratic manner," he said.

Salim alleged that the TMC dispensation was being overactive to please "their masters in Delhi".

He said that protests will be held over the next three days against alleged police atrocities at different places in the state.

Salim said that though the state government ran more buses to foil the strike, a large number of private buses and other forms of transportation were off the roads. PTI AMR SOM