Opposition’s Bharat Bandh today, Normal life hit acroos the country

New Delhi: The Bharat Bandh by NDA and other political parties with support from several trade bodies against the central government’s decision to hike diesel price and allow FDI in multi-brand retail started out on a strong note with normal life being affected in many parts of the country on Thursday.

In the national capital, Delhi, the BJP has planned to block roads at 100 spots across the city. As of now, Metro services are running on time. However, autos are off roads today.

As a precautionary measure, most schools in the NCR regions are closed today.

In Uttar Pradesh, BJP and SP workers are targeting trains with many trains stopped in Mathura, Varanasi, Lucknow and Allahabad. The bandh is expected to be near total as the ruling SP is supporting it.

INLD workers have blocked rail tracks at Faridabad in Haryana.

BJP workers were also on the streets in Jammu, Shimla, Ludhiana and other cities in the region.
With the Left parties supporting it, the Bharat Bandh is near total in West Bengal despite the TMC being against it.

Not many vehicles are plying on the roads in Kolkata and other cities; however, as the state government has asked government employees to be present in offices today, it remains to be seen how the situation pans out as the day progresses.

It is ironical given the fact that TMC has pulled out of the UPA government over the issue but is now making all efforts to ensure that the Left sponsored bandh doesn’t turn out as successful.

A scuffle was also reported between BJP and TMC workers in the city.

In Bihar, BJP and JD(U) workers blocked trains at Rajendra Nagar terminus since early morning. The bandh is expected to be in full force in the state within a couple of hours.

Protestors are expected to converge at the Dak Bungalow circle later in the day.

Odisha’s capital Bhubnaeswar is also in the grip of the band with workers of various political parties taking to the streets to protests against the furl price hike.