Siliguri, Apr 24 : Tension prevailed in Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts after reports of fresh violence poured in as the indefinite bandh sponsored by the John Barla faction of Terai Dooars Joint Action Coordination Committee entered its second day today.
Police said, 75 bandh supporters were arrested for picketing and trying to close down shops in Jaigaon close to the Indo-Bhutan border.
Alipurduar Additional Superintendent of Police Anup Kumar Jaiswal along with other senior police officials visited the spot.
Sources said, a two and a four wheeler were torched by the agitators and members of the anti-GJM faction in Odlabari in Siliguri sub-division this afternoon.
Soon after the incident a large contingent of police, headed by Malbazar SDPO Arindam Sarkar and Circle Inspector Ashok Saha, rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.
Sporadic incidents of violence were also reported from various areas under Siliguri sub-division, besides at Chamurchi More in Banarhat where police had to lob teargas shells after four to five shops were set afire yesterday.
Both the anti and pro-GJM factions rapped the state government in view of the Banarhar clash, citing lapses of security arrangement.
Jalpaiguri Superintendent of Police (Crime) Daman Kumar Karamakar said five persons were arrested in connection with the Baharhat incidents.
Police arrested some 60 activists elsewhere in the Terai.
Section 144 of CrPC continued to be in place in areas that seemed to be vulnerable and police patrolling was witnessed in bandh-hit regions of the Hills. Jawans of Seema Suraksha Bal have also been brought in to tackle the situation effectively.
While NH 31-A, connecting Sikkim to Siliguri, remained unaffected, traffic on NH 31 and 65 was affected as bandh supporters tried to put up blockades at various places.
Train services were stalled on the Siliguri-Alipurduar route under Dooars section via Malbazar, Sevoke, Binpara.
Most of the trains were diverted or terminated, rail police sources said.
The indefinite bandh has taken a toll on tourism as well.
The bandh was sponsored by the John Barla faction of Terai Dooars Joint Action Coordination Committee in response to an anti-Gorkhland group's 12-hour bandh on April 22 and demanding the democratic right to hold meetings and rallies for inclusion of territories of Terai and Dooars in the proposed Gorkhaland Territorial Adminstration (GTA). (UNI)
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