Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday admitted that resorting to bandhs during her days as Opposition leader in the state was a "mistake", as she appealed to people to stay away from Tuesday's industrial strike.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo also came down heavily on the "politics of bandhs".
"We had also made mistakes by resorting to bandhs sometimes when we were in the Opposition but later realised it is useless. We have corrected our mistakes. We think people have forgiven us for correcting ourselves for calling bandhs which were also done rarely," she told TV channels on the eve of the 24-hour strike called by central industrial trade unions.
"If anyone admits a mistake after commiting it, people forgive him or her," she added.
Reacting to the opposition to strikes by the leader of Congress's key ally Trinamool, Congress said it is "good news".
"It is good news if TMC is opposing the strike. I am sure she has her own reasons to do so. We appreciate her stand," Congress spokesperson Renuka Chaudhary said in Delhi.
Banerjee said strikes had a negative impact on the state's economy "and it is widely felt everywhere".
"Strikes give rise to violence and destruction," she said, vowing to ensure law and order and peace on Tuesday.
"Strikes and bandhs are expressions of frustration and it serves only vested interests," she added.
Banerjee said her government would no longer allow any bandh politics in the state which witnessed state-sponsored shutdowns in the past.
Lashing out at the CPI(M) and Left parties for choosing the "politics of bandhs", Mamata said, "They have taken up the weapon of bandhs as a life-long method in the last 35 years."
The chief minister asked government employees to attend duty as usual tomorrow, and warned of action, including a break in service as per rules in the event of absence, and asked transport operators to ply vehicles to facilitate passenger movement.
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