While the CITU leaders raised the red flag at its state headquarter here, Railway Minister Mukul Roy hoisted the National Flag and the INTTUC flag at Metro Channel in central Kolkata.
State president of CITU Shyamal Chakraborti, labour wing of CPI(M), said "the rightist parties are trying to hijack the May Day celebrations."
Taking a dig at the Trinamool Congress-led government in West Bengal, he said "while they are trying to curb workers' rights and talking against strike and taking repressive measures, they are at the same time celebrating the Workers' Day."
"This is a sham as they are not at all interested in protecting the workers' rights," he alleged.
The Trinamool Congress and its labour wing INTTUC leaders, however, refused to be drawn into any controversy.
State Panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee, also a labour leader, also raised the flag along with Mukul Roy.
"We have raised the flag to celebrate the occasion. I won't say anything else," Roy said. PTI AMR Cr CR SPC