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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.” Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement