West Bengal: Tribal organisations call a strike on June 8 after attack on Abhishek Banerjee’s convoy

Fourteen tribal organisations have jointly called for a strike in West Bengal on June 8 to protest against the recent convoy attack on Abhishek Banerjee, the national secretary of Trinamool Congress (TMC), as well as the vandalism of the car belonging to Birbaha Hansda, a tribal woman and state minister.

Tribals to protest by stopping trains and buses

According to sources, the tribal communities will protest on June 8 by staging a demonstration that will involve restricting the movement of trains and buses in the region.

Conversely, following the arrest of their leader Rajesh Mahata by the police, members of the Kurmi community, who were initially accused of the attack, staged protests at multiple locations throughout the state.

During the protests, a participant expressed their discontent by stating that their demonstration was aimed at denouncing the police for the arrest of Rajesh Mahata.

Kurmi protestors question Mahata’s arrest

“On May 27, our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stated that Kurmis are peace-loving people and not involved in the attack. So, why did the police arrest Rajesh Mahata? Our protest will persist until he is released,” expressed a protestor.

It should be noted that prior to his arrest, Rajesh Mahata, who is also a teacher, was transferred from Kharagpur to Cooch Behar on Saturday.

Attack on Abhishek Banerjee’s convoy

On Friday evening, the convoy of Abhishek Banerjee was targeted in an attack in Garh Salboni. While his car managed to escape unscathed, the vehicle belonging to state minister Birbaha Hansda, along with a few other party workers, was vandalised during the incident.

During her participation in TMC’s public outreach program, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was responsible for the attack, alleging that they had disguised themselves as members of the Kurmi community.