Party chief Mamata Banerjee announced this today at a press meet at her Kalighat residence.

Banerjee called on Ashok Ghosh, Bloc state general secretary, and offered her condolences. “The incident is very unfortunate. Firing on peaceful rallies has become a fashion for the police. In fact, they play second fiddle to the CPM on every matter now. We condemn this incident and have decided to offer moral support to the bandh,” Banerjee said. However, she added that if the CPM uses force to foil the bandh, her party will resist it tooth and nail.

A Trinamool delegation, led by party MLAs Saugata Roy and Subrata Bakshi, are going to visit Dinhata tomorrow to assess the situation there. They will also visit the families of those killed in the firing.

She added her invitation to Left Front partners to quit the allaince and join the Progressive Democratic Secular Front launched by her, still stands.

“Forward Bloc is still a partner of the Front and they have their own limitations. However, our invitation is not only to the Forward Bloc but also to the other partners as well,” Banerjee said.

Meanwhile, the BJP also has offered moral support to the bandh. “We are giving moral support to the bandh. However, we condemn the double standards pursued by the Forward Bloc. While your party members are being killed by the police, you maintain that you will not break the Front’s unity. This is ridiculous,” Rahul Sinha, BJP state general secretary, told The Indian Express.