Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 9 : A verbal confrontation broke out between Kolkata Police personnel and members of Left parties' trade unions amid the ongoing 'Bharat Bandh' protests in the city on Wednesday.
During the protests, the workers raised slogans of "Inquilab Zindabad" and burnt tyres as part of their agitation against the Centre's economic policies, which they allege are anti-worker.
In West Bengal, left parties' trade unions have been staging a 'Bharat Bandh' alleging that the central government is pushing economic reforms that weaken workers' rights.
Earlier today, defying the police presence, members of the Left parties' union entered Jadavpur railway station to block the railway tracks, marking their protest against the central government's "pro-corporate" policies.
Bus drivers of the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) were seen wearing helmets on duty, a move initiated to ensure their safety.
The state-run public transport authority has distributed helmets to drivers operating on various routes, except in the Darjeeling Hills region.
A heavy police force has been deployed near Jadavpur 8B bus stand, as private and state-run buses continue to operate in Jadavpur despite the 'Bharat Bandh'.
A bus driver said, "These people are saying the right thing (referring to the 'Bharat Bandh'), but we have to do our work. We are workers, so we support (the 'Bandh')... We are wearing it (helmet) for protection in case something happens."
Public transportation has been disrupted in various parts of the country following the 'Bharat Bandh' protests, called by ten central trade unions, intensified.
In Odisha, members of the Khordha District unit of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) blocked the national highway at Bhubaneswar to support the 'Bharat Bandh'.
In Kerala, shops and shopping malls in Kottayam remain closed in support of the 'Bharat Bandh' called by 10 central trade unions.
Members of Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) students' wing blocked the train tracks at Jehanabad railway station in Bihar, supporting 'Bharat Bandh' called by a joint forum of 10 central trade unions and their affiliates.
Under the 'Bandh', sectors such as state-run public transport, government offices, public sector units, banking and insurance services, postal operations, coal mining and industrial production are likely to be affected.
The trade unions have alleged that the central government is implementing reforms that weaken workers' rights.
The participating organisations include Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), Trade Union Coordination Centre (TUCC), Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA), All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), Labour Progressive Federation (LPF), and the United Trade Union Congress (UTUC).