Kolkata, July 17 - West Bengal Congress, which Friday enforced a dawn-to-dusk shutdown in the state to protest attack on its party legislators, said the strike was 'spontaneous' and 'historic' in terms of the response it received.

'The 12-hour shutdown was completely successful and spontaneous. We received unprecedented response from all across the state,' state Pradesh Congress Committee working president Subrata Mukherjee said in a press conference.

'The strike was observed in more or less in a peaceful manner, except a few sporadic incidents. I welcome those people who have extended their support to our shutdown call,' he said.

The strike was called 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've requested our party workers to withdraw blockades from the railway tracks after 4 p.m. today (Friday) and help the authorities to resume the train services as early as possible,' he said.

'We'll soon visit Mongolkote with relief materials once again. And if we are again stopped, we've decide to go for a state-wide protest in future in a much bigger way,' he said, adding that the strike had largely affected Information Technology (IT) sector, tea industry, transport and railways.

Hundreds of Congress activists Friday hit the streets with party flags and blocked roads, damaged buses and ransacked government offices, protesting against a violent attack on their party leaders in Burdwan district.

A group of enraged Congress supporters vandalised the head post office in Siliguri town of Darjeeling district.

'We've received a report that the head post office in Siliguri was vandalised by some political activists today (Friday) morning. Another group of people, who were supporting the shutdown, also damaged the wind screens of a government bus in the same town,' state Inspector General of Police (North Bengal) K.L. Tamta told IANS by telephone.

'At least four people have been arrested so far in connection with these two protests in Siliguri,' he said.