Buses stoned, trains halted during shutdown in India's West Bengal

Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-26 14:51:06|Editor: Shi Yinglun
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NEW DELHI, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Normal life in India's eastern state of West Bengal Wednesday remained affected in response to a shutdown call.

Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from many places with protesters stoning buses and halting trains to enforce the shutdown.

The 12-hour-long shutdown was called by Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) across the state to protest the death of two youth at Islampur in North Dinajpur district last week allegedly in police firing.

BJP is one of the opposition parties in the state.

Authorities have deployed hundreds of policemen in capital city Kolkata and other sensitive districts to prevent the violence.

Officials said protesters attacked private buses in Howrah's Tikiapara area and blocked train tracks on the Howrah-Bardhaman main line, Sealdah-Barasat-Bongaon, Sealdah-Diamond Harbour and Kawta-Bandel sections apparently in a bid to enforce the shutdown.

Drivers of the state government buses were seen drive buses wearing helmets.

"There are reports of clashes in Barasat and buses were vandalized in Cooch Behar and Midnapore," an official said.

The local government headed by Trinamool Congress has accused the BJP of trying to foment trouble in the state.

Trouble in Islampur school began last Friday over the recruitment of Urdu and Sanskrit teachers against the students demand of Science and English teachers.

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