Protesters scuffled with the police and roads were blocked during a 12-hour bandh called by the BJP in Khejuri area in Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal on Monday to protest the unnatural deaths of two persons.
Sujit Das (23) and Sudhir Chandra Paik (65) died when they went to attend a Muharram event in Janaka area of Khejuri on Friday night.
Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, claimed that seven people, including a local TMC leader, beat them to death, while police stated the two died after halogen lamps accidentally fell on them from a lamppost, and there was no sign of them being beaten up or attacked with weapons.
Enforcing the bandh called in protest against the deaths, BJP supporters blocked highways with tree trunks for several hours, before police removed the blockades and arrested eight people for causing disruption to traffic.
A few vehicles, including a truck, were vandalised. Public transport buses largely stayed off the roads, causing severe inconvenience to commuters, while most shops remained shut.
Despite the unrest, an examination at a local college was conducted after an initial attempt to halt it failed, police said.
A large police contingent was deployed to control the situation.
Adhikari took out a protest march and demanded that a murder case be registered and the "culprits" arrested.
Some BJP workers alleged that police were harassing locals and claimed the bandh reflected public anger.
Khejuri BJP MLA Santanu Pramanik said the bandh received widespread support from the public, with all shops remaining closed.
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