Kolkata, Jan 16 (PTI) Locals in West Bengal’s Murshidabad blocked National Highway 12 and burnt tyres on Friday to protest against the alleged attacks on migrant workers from the district in other states, disrupting vehicular movement on the thoroughfare, police said.
The highway was blocked at Maheshpur in the Beldanga 1 area since 9 am, triggering traffic snarls on the arterial road connecting the northern part of the state with the southern cities in West Bengal, a senior officer said.
The demonstrators alleged repeated attacks and unsafe conditions faced by migrants from the district in other states for speaking Bengali.
“Migrants from Murshidadbad are being branded Bangladeshis outside West Bengal. They have been facing atrocities for speaking Bengali. We want exemplary punishment for those involved in such attacks,” a protester said.
The protest erupted after news spread about the death of a Murshidabad native who had migrated to Jharkhand for work, the officer said.
The demonstrators demanded stringent action against those responsible for the death, immediate compensation for the victim’s family, and a permanent administrative mechanism to ensure the safety of migrant labourers from Murshidabad.
Senior police officers reached the spot and held several rounds of talks with the protesters in an attempt to clear the highway.
However, the agitators refused to lift the blockade, insisting that senior administrative officials visit the site and provide concrete assurances. PTI BSM BDC
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