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The 24-hour bandh called by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in protest against alleged attacks on Hindu families in Matigara received near-total response in Siliguri, largely due to the

weakening of the Left Front in the region, claimed veteran CPI-M leader and former minister Asok Bhattacharya.

Speaking to the media, Bhattacharya said: “Only the Left has the capacity to prevent religious groups from turning on each other and calling politically motivated strikes. The VHP’s success

in enforcing the bandh stems from the support it has gained in Siliguri by building its organisational base.”

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He further alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had entrenched itself in the region by leveraging religious events like Ram Navami, which helped the BJP consolidate its support

base in recent elections. “The BJP’s victory in Siliguri and adjoining seats owes much to the groundwork laid by the RSS network,” Bhattacharya remarked.

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Expressing concern over the communal turn in local culture, Bhattacharya added: “Siliguri’s traditional cosmopolitanism has been eroded. There was a time when no one objected to the sale of

various kinds of meat, including beef and pork, even in Darjeeling town. But now, with the recent attacks on meat sellers in Matigara followed by retaliatory violence, the VHP seized the

opportunity to impose a bandh with clear political intent.”

Bhattacharya also criticised the police for inaction, both during the attacks and throughout the strike. “The administration remained passive. This bandh appears to be a result of tacit

understanding between the BJP and the Trinamul Congress (TMC) to dominate the political narrative by side-lining all other parties,” he alleged.

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CPI-MSiliguriVHP Related posts # Bengal Political shift in Siliguri: Veteran Cong leader joins TMC In a significant development, veteran Congress leader Sankar Malakar, who had been a key

face of the party in Siliguri for over four decades, formally joined the Trinamul Congress (TMC) today.

# Siliguri Siliguri shuts down during 24-Hour bandh by VHP A 24-hour bandh called by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) in protest against an alleged attack on Hindu families in Tumbajote,

Matigara on Saturday, saw near-total shutdown across Siliguri and adjoining areas, including Fulbari in Jalpaiguri district

# Bengal State explores renewable energy use in tea gardens The non-conventional and renewable energy sources department of the West Bengal government has convened a crucial meeting at

Uttarkanya, Siliguri, on 5 June to explore the potential for renewable energy generation and use in the tea gardens of north Bengal.

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