Mamata Banerjee says, 'Bandh' should be last resort

Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday reiterated her party's support to the issues raised by the Congress against the Narendra Modi government but said calling a shutdown should be the last resort as it leads to wastage of money and man-days.

The Congress and its allies had called a shutdown to protest against rising prices of petroleum products and a depreciating rupee, while the CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist)-led Left Front organised a nationwide agitation from 6 a.m to 6 p.m on the same issue.

Claiming that "an economic disaster and mismanagement" is going on in the country under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government, Banerjee said she had informed the Congress leadership in Delhi that her government would not allow any shutdown in Bengal.

"We have seen that a single day shutdown leads to wastage of 80 lakh man-days in Bengal. Bengal is trying to turn around. So, we are against all kinds of shutdown and strike. We morally oppose bandh no matter who calls it," Banerjee said at the state secretariat Nabanna here.

"Congress leader Ahmed Patel called me on Friday evening. I told him that we support the issues but we will not hold any shutdown. That's why we held protest demonstration today (Monday).

"I do not think calling shutdown is the right solution. A lot of money is wasted during the strike. These are people's money. I personally think that bandh should be the last resort," she said.

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