Opposition strike in West Bengal

There was little traffic on the roads

The Indian state of West Bengal has been badly hit by a strike called in protest against political violence.

Schools and offices are closed and transport disrupted in the capital, Calcutta, and elsewhere in the state.

The main opposition Trinamul Congress party called the 12-hour strike after violence over plans to industrialise a rural district south-west of Calcutta.

The party is also protesting against the theft of subsidised grain, an issue which has sparked recent unrest.

'Peaceful' strike

The BBC's Subir Bhaumik in Calcutta says Trinamul Congress workers were out in strength on the city's streets and outside government buildings on Wednesday.

The party's activists and supporters of the state's governing Communist Party of India (Marxist) have fought pitched battles this week in the Nandigram area, 80km (50 miles) south-west of Calcutta.

At least two opposition workers have been killed and scores of others injured.

Senior Calcutta police official Raj Kanojia said that Wednesday's strike, however, had been largely peaceful.

Flights to and from Calcutta operated normally. There were reports of obstruction to trains in some areas.

The state's information technology companies are not affected by the strike.

Chemical plant

Violence erupted in Nandigram after the state government announced it was acquiring thousands of acres of farmland for a planned chemical hub.

Fourteen farmers were shot dead by police in the area on 14 March, and the government said it would move the project elsewhere.

Hundreds of Marxist supporters fled the area with their families.

The latest violence is linked to their efforts to return home, our correspondent says.