Kolkata: The 12-hour Trinamool Congress (TC) sponsored bandh in West Bengal began this morning (Dec 3, 2004) amid tight security arrangements with police arresting 844 persons, including three party MLAs, from different parts of the State for trying to disrupt normal life.

Three Trinamool MLAs, Arjun Singh, C M Jatua and Dilip Mondal were arrested for trying to enforce the bandh in the morning, IG (law and order) Chayan Mukherjee said.

The Trinamool Councillor in Kolkata Municipal Corporation Ruby Datta was also arrested in the city for trying to disrupt normal life, he said. Of the total statewide arrests eight were from the city.

The Calcutta High Court had already declared the TC-sponsored bandh illegal and unconstitutional and asked the State Government to take measures to maintain normalcy.

Meanwhile State transport buses and trams plied in the city though private buses and other private vehicles were less in number. In many areas shops and markets remained closed.

Eastern and South Eastern Railway sources said that train services were normal except in the Sealdah-Canning section where the bandh supporters tried to disrupt train movement.

Indian Airlines Sources said five morning flights were operated.

Two bombs were hurled in front of the Trinamool Congress rally, at Hazra area in South Kolkata, but none was injured.

Police confirmed the incident, but there were no arrests made regarding this.

The bombs were hurled while slogan shouting TC supporters, led by its youth wing president Madan Mitra who were holding a rally near Jatin Das Park metro station in support of the bandh.

The incident triggered panic in the area where police reinforcements were rushed. Mitra alleged CPM (Communist Party of India Marxist) supporters' hurled bombs, but the Marxists denied the charge.

There was no report of any untoward incident from the rest of the State so far, police said.

TC chief Mamata Banerjee refused to call off the bandh and said her party will go ahead with the shutdown to protect the interest of the people.