Police disperse protesting tea garden workers in Bengal's Jalpaiguri

Kolkata, Sep 28 (PTI) A section of tea garden workers, who had blocked a key stretch of a state highway at Meteli in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district demanding payment of Durga Puja bonus, was dispersed by the police on Sunday, official said.

Around 100 workers of a nearby tea estate had blocked the arterial state highway under Malbazar subdivision of the district since Friday noon, a police officer said.

“We tried to persuade them to lift the blockade... However, as the protesters refused to budge, police swung into action on Sunday and dispersed them with minimum force,” he said.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that police resorted to "brutal lathicharge on the unarmed peaceful tribal tea workers".

"The police officers present at the spot abused the demonstrators and carried on unprovoked attack on them," he said in a post on X.

Adhikari also claimed that several plantation workers were injured in the police action.

"None of the promises made by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in her earlier visit to north Bengal has been implemented by tea garden owners… They are deprived of their minimum legitimate dues. Only by uprooting this regime, the people of Bengal can get rid of the misrule," he asserted.

"One after another, tea gardens are closing down, but the CM and her administration are indifferent," the BJP leader added. PTI SUS RBT