West Bengal: Congress gives state-wide bandh call on August 20

Congress in West Bengal on Sunday gave a call for a state-wide bandh on August 20 to protest against "ongoing terror and violence" by ruling Trinamool Congress.

"We have called a 12-hour Bangla bandh on August 20 to protest the ongoing terror and violence sponsored by the TMC," West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee President Adhir Chowdhury said at a press conference in Siliguri. "The situation in the state is absolutely beyond one's imagination. Nobody in the state is safe. Starting from the common man, students, journalists, policemen are also unsafe in the state," Chowdhury said citing the recent killing of a girl at Ketugram after a failed rape attempt on her and the murder of a girl student in Burdwan.

The West Bengal government, Chowdhury alleged, has been doing little for the relief of the several thousands of people affected in the recent floods in the state. "When thousands of people are crying for relief and shelter, the state government is doing little. The situation is pathetic," he said. Congress had on Saturday observed a 12-hour bandh at Sabang block in West Midnapore district protesting against the alleged lynching of a student in Sabang College.