Bharat Bandh: Shops shut; rail, road traffic hit

New Delhi: The nationwide bandh called by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by BJP and the Left parties against the recent hike in petrol prices has evoked mixed response from different parts of the country.

With other political parties and auto tax unions also supporting today’s agitation, normal life has been affected, major shops, commercial establishment are closed and the movement of trains and commercial vehicles has been hit in various states spelling trouble for the common man.

As per reports, the main opposition BJP, Left and other regional parties are leading major protests across the country to protest what is the steepest ever hike in petrol prices in recent times. Today’s agitation has so far evoked sharp response in NDA strongholds like Bihar, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.

North

Delhi: National capital is likely to be severely affected with today’s agitation called by the BJP. As part of the agitation, several BJP leaders are leading the agitation in various parts of Delhi. BJP workers have blocked traffic and are staging demonstrations at several places. The National Highway (NH-24) has been blocked completely and Delhi-Rohtak rail route has been choked by BJP workers. Senior BJP leader Sanjay Joshi is steering the protest near the Akshardham temple in Delhi. Meanwhile, BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has courted arrest in Delhi, while leading the agitation near Akshardham Temple.

The BJP, which recently took control of three municipal corporations in Delhi, is also protesting against the introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) by the Congress government.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had announced to levy a 5% VAT on CNG further escalating the price of the fuel from Rs. 35.45 per kg to 37.20 per kg. This had evoked sharp response from the auto-rickshaw unions and their members have decided to halt work today defying Delhi government’s warning.

At least 55,000 autos and 15,000 taxis will stay off the road in Delhi today. The BJP leadership has threatened to block traffic at about 100 areas across the city.

Uttar Pradesh :The ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) is observing a statewide bandh today in protest against the petrol price hike. In Allahabad, SP workers staged protests on railway tracks, blocking trains and raising slogans against the Centre.

Samajwadi Party and JD (U) workers have blocked rail routes in Allahabad and Patna. The Saket Express and Ganga Gomti Express were stopped in Allahabad. The SP workers have also burnt effigies of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, demanding a rollback in the price of petrol.

Himachal Pradesh :Shops and commercial establishments were closed across the state as activists of the ruling BJP and the CPI-M protested the hike in petrol prices. However, there was no report of traffic being held up due to the shutdown in the state. Over 6,000 shopkeepers in Shimla kept their shops closed.

West

Maharashtra : The Opposition-sponsored shutdown started in Mumbai and the state peacefully Thursday, barring sporadic incidents of violence in Thane and Pune.

There were at least four incidents of government buses being stoned in Pune and Thane as the BJP, Shiv Sena, Left, Samajwadi Party and others called for a nation-wide shutdown to protest the recent hike in petrol prices.

Though shops and other establishments are closed in view of today’s bandh, the BJP and Shiv Sena have assured that essential services would not be affected by the agitation.

The Congress government has stationed at least 48,000 cops in various parts of Mumbai with major deployment in sensitive areas like Chembur, Dadar, Jogeshwari, Govandi and Byculla.

The state government has also issued preventive detention orders to ensure peace during the day-long agitation. Though taxi and autorickshaw unions have earlier declared that they will not participate in today’s bandh, drivers are not likely to venture out on the roads, fearing violence and damage to vehicles.

The city’s famous dabbawalas, too, will be joining and won’t be delivering tiffins. Meanwhile, anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare has also called on his supporters to support the agitation.

East

West Bengal: The supporters of the 12-hour bandh called by the NDA to protest the petrol price hike today blocked some roads in some districts of West Bengal and squatted on railway tracks.

Bandh supporters blocked the Howrah Bridge, which connects the metropolis to the Howrah district. They also blocked roads at Chapadali more in Barasat, in Bankura district, Budge Budge and some other places, police said.

They also damaged some buses in some places, they said. However, buses, cars, taxis, trams were running in the metropolis though in less number. Police sources said there was no report of any violence in the city. Airport sources said there was no cancellation of any flight. South Eastern Railway sources said all their long distance trains reached Howrah station on time. Metro railway sources said their trains were running normally.

The state government had made elaborate security arrangement for the bandh. The state government had also issued circular warning government employees against any leave on the bandh day.

Bihar: NDA Convener and JD-U national president Sharad Yadav and BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain were among 800 activists taken into custody while enforcing the NDA sponsored “Bharat Bandh” in Bihar to protest the petrol price hike.

Yadav along with 700 odd supporters took out processions in Saharsa town to enforce the call. However, he along with NDA supporters were soon taken into custody in Sadar Police Station, reports said. Meanwhile, Hussain, the BJP National Spokesman, and others were detained in Bhagalpur town while trying to enforce the bandh. The ruling JD-U party claimed that the state is observing a total bandh.

South

Karnataka: Today’s bandh disrupted normal life in parts of BJP-ruled Karnataka where bandh supporters set on fire three buses and stoned about a dozen others forcing authorities to withdraw bus services in the city.

According to initial reports received here, the bandh evoked good response in several districts. Public transport was hit and shops and business establishments remained closed in several parts of the state.

Holiday has been declared for schools and colleges today in view of the bandh.

In stray incidents of violence targeting state-run buses, some persons torched three Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses in the small hours and stoned about a dozen forcing the authorities to withdraw bus services.

While a bus was set on fire on Roopena Agrahara, two others were torched in K.R. Puram and fire force rushed to the spot and extinguished the fire. In the wake of stray incidents of stone pelting, BMTC suspended city bus services till this evening.

As a precaution, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) also suspended services in some districts such as Kolar, Ramangara, Chikkaballapur, Hubli-Dharwad and Hassan.

Tamil Nadu: In Tamil Nadu, the demonstrators have set four public transport buses on fire.

Odisha: The movement of trains and commercial vehicles was hit in several parts of Odisha as the shutdown against the hike in petrol prices, called by various parties, including the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), came into effect.

Protesters blocked roads and highways in several areas and disrupted traffic. Train services were also hit as protesters squatted on rail tracks at the Cuttack and Bhubaneswar railway stations. The state units of the BJP and Left parties are organising separate protests across the state.

The NDA and the Left called for a nationwide bandh after the government raised petrol prices by Rs 7.50 per litre. The last Bharat Bandh that was called by the Opposition on July 5, 2010 had cost the economy Rs 13,000 crore.

The decision to this effect was announced by the NDA’s acting chairman and senior BJP leader, LK Advani, at the party’s national executive meet in Mumbai on May 24.