Kolkata, July 17 - Roads were blocked, buses damaged and government offices ransacked as parts of West Bengal Friday observed a dawn-to-dusk shutdown called by the Congress party to protest against a violent attack on its legislators this week. The Congress said the strike was 'spontaneous' and 'historic', but the ruling Left Front criticised it for 'atrocious acts'.

'The shutdown was completely successful and spontaneous. We received unprecedented response from across the state,' state Congress working president Subrata Mukherjee told a press conference.

'The strike was observed more or less in a peaceful manner, except a few sporadic incidents,' he said.

The strike was called in 12 of the state's 19 districts after a 14-member delegation led by Congress Legislative Party (CLP) chief Manas Bhuinya was attacked, allegedly by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) supporters, when they went to Dhanyarukhi village in Burdwan district Wednesday.

They had gone to distribute relief material among party supporters whose houses were burnt after the June 16 murder of CPI-M district committee member Falguni Mukherjee. Seven journalists accompanying the Congress delegation were also injured.

Demanding immediate administrative action to restore peace and normalcy in Mongolkote area of Burdwan district, Mukherjee said the state government would have to look into the issue and provide help to those people who are staying at temporary relief camps in the violence-scarred region.

'We'll soon visit Mongolkote with relief materials once again. And if we are again stopped, we will go for a bigger state-wide protest,' he said, adding that the strike had largely affected the IT sector, tea industry, transport and railways.

State ruling Left Front chairman Biman Bose criticised the Congress for 'atrocious acts' in the name of the strike.

'Patients were deprived of life saving medicines in Jalpaiguri district as the medical stores were forcibly closed by the supporters of shutdown. Tourists' luggage was also thrown out in Alipurduar station, where they took a halt while travelling.

'Congress activists also tried to snatch a convict from the police custody at Chashmore on way from Joypur to Purulia district,' Bose said.