Incidents of violence and arson were reported from various parts of West Bengal with buses, a police vehicle and government properties being vandalised by strikers who tried to enforce the 24-hour Bharat bandh on Wednesday.
Protesters blocked a major road in Sujapur area of Malda district, set tyres on fire, ransacked government buses and torched several vehicles, including a police van. When police tried to control the situation, the protesters hurled stones and crude bombs.
The police then baton-charged the mob, lobbed teargas shells and fired rubber bullets, officials said.
In various parts of the state, railway tracks and roads were blocked, affecting normal life.
The protesters burnt tyres and blocked roads in various parts of the East Burdwan district, besides staging sit-in on railway tracks, affecting train services in the sector.
In East Midnapore district, stones were hurled at buses, following which the protesters clashed with the police, leading to several arrests, the officials said.
Several buses were also vandalised in Cooch Behar districts by the protesters.
The bandh supporters tried to break past barricades in Kolkata's Central Avenue area, prompting police to use force. Several strikers were held, they said.
In Dum Dum and Lake Town, clashes broke out between Left supporters, who took out rallies in support of the strike, and TMC supporters who were opposing it. A huge police contingent was rushed to the spot to control the situation, the police said.
The strikers also blocked railway tracks at Jadavpur, disrupting services in the important section and shut down vehicular movement on nearby roads, following which police resorted to baton charge. CPI(M) legislature party leader Sujan Chakraborty was detained for instigating violence, the officials said.
Members of Jadavpur University students' union also also joined the strikers and staged demonstration near their campus.
Country-made bombs were found on several roads in Barasat area of the North 24 Parganas district. Crude bombs were also found on railway tracks at some places in the district, they said.
The strikers also took out rallies in the industrial belt of the district, including Barrackpore and Sodepur, and blocked roads and railway tracks.
Daily commuters and office-goers across the state had a harrowing time as the number of vehicles plying on the roads was much less than other days.
In Kolkata, government buses were plying normally but the number of private buses was less. Metro services were normal in the city and auto-rickshaws and taxis were also seen on the roads.
Heavy police deployment was seen in several areas, including in Tollygunge, Behala, Esplanade and Shyambazar.
Slamming the Left and the Congress for trying to enforce the bandh, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that those who do not have any political existence in the state are trying to ruin its economy by pursuing "cheap politics" of strikes.
She said police will take action as per law against the protesters.
Till noon, around 55 people were arrested from different parts of the city for allegedly trying to block vehicles, stall government buses or forcibly stop shopkeepers from opening their establishments, a senior officer of the Kolkata Police said.
Flight services were normal at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport but train services were partially affected in some sectors of the Sealdah, Howrah and Kharagpur sections due to obstruction by protesters.
The Trinamool Congress also took out rallies opposing the strike at some places in north Bengal and urged people to maintain normalcy.
Branches and ATMs of most of the banks in the state remained closed as employees stayed away. Contractual workers also joined the stir.
According to the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), some 28 lakh cheques worth over Rs 21,000 crore could not be sent for clearing.
Staff of the Reserve Bank of India also joined the strike.
The All India Reserve Bank Employees Association (AIRBEA) general secretary Samir Ghosh said the Bharat bandh was successful.
Majority of the jute mills in the state also remained shut.
Limited impact in Maharashtra
The nationwide strike seems to have failed to evoke much response in Maharashtra till Wednesday afternoon with transport and banking services remaining largely unaffected in many districts as well as in the country's financial capital.
No untoward incident was reported so far from any region of the state.
Suburban trains, public buses, taxis and autorickshaws are running normally in the island city and suburbs.
Similarly, Metro and Monorail services are running smoothly, officials said, adding that BEST-operated bus services are also running as per schedule.
Private transport services like taxis and auto-rickshaws are also plying normally in Mumbai.
In Pune, transport services remained unaffected.
"Buses operated by the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) are plying normally," said Shankar Pawar, Director, PMPML.
Educational institutes and commercial establishments in the city remained opened as usual.
Trade union leader Ajit Abhyankar claimed that at least 15,000 people affiliated to various Central trade unions, Bhartiya Kamgar Sena, posts, banks, and other government establishments participated in a public rally outside the district collectorate in Pune.
He said 70 per cent of factories and manufacturing units in Pimpri Chinchwad, Bhosari, Chakan and Ranjangaon MIDC around Pune remained closed.
Delhi unaffected
The national capital largely remained unaffected by the Bharat bandh called by trade unions on Wednesday, though most industrial workers stayed away from work.
The Delhi Metro and the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) services functioned normally despite the strike call.
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Widespread intermittent rains in the national capital also reduced the intensity of the strike.
The industrial areas of Mayapuri and Wazirabad witnessed protest march.
At the ITO, workers affiliated to Left unions gathered in support of the Bharat bandh called by 10 central trade unions against the Central government's "anti-worker" policies.
