Kolkata: Two buses were set ablaze on Saturday by protesting Trinamool Congress-backed auto-rickshaw operators agitating against a court ban on ageing public transport vehicles in the city.
The strike turned violent with irate auto drivers vandalising a government bus at Park Circus.
The agitators turned violent and stoned and set fire to a West Bengal Transport Corporation bus in Park Circus in south Kolkata. The bus was only partially damaged as locals managed to douse the flames. No one was injured.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Bannerjee had earlier been leading a 5,000 member strong crowd to protest government action against auto drivers and owners.
After squatting overnight near Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's residence demanding release of her party supporters, Mamata
Banerjee called off her dharna early on Saturday.
However, she did not make it clear as to why the dharna at Ballygunge Phari, a short distance away from Chief Minister's south Kolkata residence, was called off even though the arrested persons were not released.
TC-backed autorickshaw and taxidrivers unions called a 12-hour autorickshaw and taxi strike in the city from 0600 hours (IST) on Saturday.
TC activists led by Banerjee were protesting alleged police repression against the drivers and party supporters of two-stroke autorickshaws. They will also bring out a procession in the city during the day against alleged police repression.
Meanwhile, CPI-M State Secretary Biman Bose accused Banerjee's agitation as an attempt to "create a semi-Fascist atmosphere of terror" in West Bengal by allowing anti-social elements to hijack the campaign last night.
"CPI-M would organise a state-wide procession on Saturday in protest against the manner in which TC has been pushing the state towards disaster," Bose said.
Bose said that never in the past a political party had attempted to gherao Chief Minister's residence at the dead of night.
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