A 24-hour bandh called by the State Committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) in the Jangalmahal region in protest against “the terror” perpetrated by “the Trinamool Congress-backed Bhairab Bahini” and other issues evoked a partial response in the Maoist-affected areas of Bankura, Purulia and Paschim Medinipur districts.
The bandh coincided with the expiry of a seven-day deadline given to the Maoists by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to disarm and come for negotiations.
This is the first bandh by the Left-wing extremists since the Trinamool came to power in May.
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No incident has been reported so far and it has been largely peaceful. The bandh has had a partial impact. Shops and market places were closed in most places, but some markets near Lalgarh and Pirakata remained open, Praveen Tripathi, Superintendent of Police of Paschim Medinipur told The Hindu over telephone. Railway services were not disrupted.