Doctor rape-murder: BJP's 12-hour shutdown partially affects life in Bengal

Daily life was partially affected in West Bengal on Wednesday due to a 12-hour shutdown called by the BJP, protesting the police action against demonstrators during a march to the state secretariat. Rail and road blockades at several places in the state since the early morning affected public transport services, inconveniencing people. In state capital Kolkata, the usual weekday flurry was missing with a lesser number of buses, auto-rickshaws and taxis plying. Private vehicles were also significantly less, even as markets and shops remained open as usual. Schools and colleges were open, though the number of students was lesser. In many private offices, attendance was low with employees asked to work from home. However, attendance was as usual in government offices. BJP workers demonstrated at several places in the city, including Sealdah, Shyambazar, Burrabazar and Wipro More in the IT hub of Sector 5, and police were swift in removing them to clear the roads for traffic. An offic