BJP's Bangla Bandh

Bandh : 234 held in Cooch Behar

The BJP sponsored bandh passed off peacefully in Cooch Behar district today. The bandh was a partial one in the district as shops and markets were found closed during the day but government offices were found opened. Several branches of banks were found closed but no classes were held at the schools and colleges. District BJP secretary Mr Nikhil Ranjan Dey claimed that the bandh was a successful one.

No untoward incident has been reported from anywhere during the bandh hours, police said. 234 bandh supporters were arrested when they were trying to impose the bandh forcefully, police said. 

BJP LEADER SPEAKS

State BJP's ex-president and National Executive Council member Mr Tathagata Roy addresses at a press conference in Cooch Behar on Thursday. – Debashis Bhaumik.

UNIQUE POLITICS !

BJP leader explains party's stand on alliance with the CPI-M

The BJP is still ready to come into an alliance once again with the Trinamul Congress to fight against the CPI-M in the state Assembly elections to be held in 2011. Today, a senior leader of the party, Mr Tathagata Roy also explained the party's unique stand on the alliance with the CPI-M at Tufanganj in Cooch Behar to thwart the hooliganism of the Trinamul Congress.

Ex-president of the state BJP unit and a member of the party's National Executive Council, Mr Tathagata Roy came here today to inaugurate a workshop of party's youth activists in Cooch Behar, address a public gathering at Jorai and attend a citizens' convention in Cooch Behar.

Explaining the BJP's newly grown relation with the CPI-M at Tufanganj, Mr Roy said they are against such alliance at state level as it is against the party's ideals. It can be done at local levels for local reasons. At Tufanganj the local BJP leadership have to do it to save the party supporters from the atrocities unleashed by the Trinamul Congress. The Trinamul Congress is following the similar anti-people misdeeds as the CPI-M did when they were in power in the two Panchayat Samitis and several Gram Panchayat bodies in Tufanganj till the last Panchayat elections, he said. The Trinamul chief should review the matter because it will bring no good to her party.

Replying a question he said that many CPI-M sheltered hooligans joined the Trinamul Congress (the BJP's ally in the Panchayat elections) after the elections and they are now following the similar terror tactics on the CPI-M and the BJP. To meet the situation, the local BJP came closer to the CPI-M to thwart the Trinamul Congress, clarified Mr Roy.

When asked about their plan about any alliance for the next Assembly elections, Mr Roy said they want an anti-CPI-M alliance. All parties, including local parties may join the proposed alliance. Talks have been started over it. He however denied naming any local party like Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party (GCDP) or Kamtapur Peoples' Party (KPP). He said they called upon all including the Trinamul Congress to join the anti-CPI-M platform. "The Trinamul Congress was with us and I believe they may come again with us to uproot the CPI-M rule from this state", the BJP leader said.

The senior BJP leader said they called a bandh against price hike of essential commodities on 30 November and requested all parties including the Trinamul Congress to support it.

The Congress is known as a covert sympathiser of the CPI-M in this state, the BJP leader commented. At the same time he admitted that though the Congress calls them a communal party they entered into adjustment with that party for local reasons at Malda.