West Bengal: Left Front Calls for 12-Hour Bandh

The Left Front has called for 12 hours Bandh in West Bengal on Friday to protest after its workers were allegedly beaten up during a march to Nabanna in Kolkata.

Left Front Chairman Biman Bose said, "The Left Front has called for 12 hours bandh in West Bengal to protest over the incident where left party workers were beaten up and water cannons were used against them by Police during a march to Nabanna in Kolkata."

The bandh will remain effective from 6 am in the morning to 6 pm in the evening, he added. Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress (TMC)-led West Bengal Government mandated the presence of all employees of the State Government at their offices on Friday.

"All-State Government offices, including those provided with Grants-in-Aid by the State Government, shall remain open and all employees shall report for duty. 

No casual leave for absence or any leave shall be granted to any employee nor shall there be any exemption on the ground of shift allocation," read a circular.

"Absence will be treated as `dies-non` and no salary will be admissible unless covered by hospitalization of the employee, bereavement in family, severe illness and absence continuing prior to February 11, employees on child care/maternity/medical leave sanctioned prior to February 11," it added.